Sanctuary
by iamgeekachu
Summary: He had never seen one before, but Roxas knew, by the skin as pale as death, and the coldness that had suddenly infiltrated the alley he stood in, that he was in the midst of a vampire. AkuRoku.
1. Runaway

Disclaimer: I don't own KH or it's characters; i just like to play with them.

Roxas ran like his life depended on it. Casting an occasional glance to be sure no one was following him, the boy traveled the familiar streets of his town, imagining that he had finally made his escape. Running from home at this hour of the night was dangerous, but there was no more patience in the child for his father's beatings, for his siblings' indifference, for a life that seemed to stretch into a dismal future with no purpose, except to become a peasant blacksmith like his father. No, it would end tonight.

Still, Roxas swore he was being followed. Did his father catch him sneaking out and send a brother after him? Or perhaps it was a thief? Though why a thief would be following a boy of only fifteen with nothing but the clothes on his back perplexed Roxas slightly. But in any case, he ducked into an alleyway, just to be sure. And only then he discovered that he was not alone.

Roxas turned his head back to the alley's entrance only to find a figure in his way. Just as he suspected a thief. A very tall thief, at that. But he would be damned if he let this intruder stand in the way of his freedom, stubborn as he was. Steeling his legs, Roxas prepared himself for a fight. That was, until the intruder stepped into the light of the gas lamp hanging over the alley.

He had never seen one before, but Roxas knew, by the skin as pale as death, and the coldness that had suddenly infiltrated the alley he stood in, that he was in the midst of a vampire.

He knew about vampires. Only the things he had been told by his elder siblings and his mother before she faded from this world and from his. Things about garlic and sunlight and coffins and fangs. Razor sharp fangs that thirsted for blood of the living. He knew enough to stay away. Enough to be frightened.

Vampires were plentiful in their village, as well as the surrounding villages, ever since the vampire king had conquered the surrounding territory. That was nearly a century ago. Roxas had grown up knowing never to stray the village at night, for the vampire would come and feast on his blood. Roxas found himself rooted where he stood, feeling his courage drain.

_Vampire…!_

Although he didn't give it much thought then and there, paralyzed with fear as he was, Roxas recognized that is was not the sort of wild, feral and beastly vampire he was staring at, the kind he had always been taught about. No, this one wore clothing that could only be described as fine—a velvet doublet of deep crimson, breeches that could have been silk for their exquisite texture, and riding boots that must have been polished that same night for the way they reflected the light of the gas lamp above the alley, all topped off with a cloak as black as night—an aristocrat at the very least. His stance and height were positively…regal. But still he would look no higher than the creature's neck. Instead he observed the subtle glitter of rings on the hands of the tall vampire, gleaming just a little from beneath their places under his cloak.

Roxas was broken out of his reverie by a soft speech:

"What is your name, child?"

The voice was strangely gentle and soothing, not at all what Roxas was expecting to here. He registered it as the vampire speaking to him, but refused to look up. _Don't look into his eyes!_

"Child, look at me and tell me your name."

The voice was still soft, but more forceful, and Roxas, on edge as he was, lifted his head in alarm. And there he was met with sparkling emeralds that were the vampire's eyes. There was a fair distance between them but even so, those eyes shone like stars to Roxas. Green was a rare color of eye as it was, but this green…Roxas was captivated. He vaguely registered twin marks beneath the creature's eyes, like black tears frozen in time, elegant, albeit short brows, and hair…was it red? And was that a jewel in one of his strangely delicate looking ears? Roxas had never seen so many luxuries in his life, let alone on one being. He couldn't help but think that for all the creature before him may be, he was first and foremost breathtakingly beautiful. He was still observing when…

"Roxas."

His name came out with no thought behind it at all, almost as soon as their eyes had met. _No! Why did I do that?_

Roxas' face must have shone some reaction, because the vampire smiled just a bit, showing the slightest hint of fang. The vampire reached out an elegant hand to him. Then:

"Roxas…come into my arms."

It was said almost lovingly, with Roxas' name coming out of the smiling mouth like a hushed melody. And Roxas was by then powerless to refuse the caressing command. His feet moved of their own accord as his mind was clouded by vampiric influence. He quickly closed the distance between himself and the vampire and found himself in a surprisingly warm embrace. The vampire held Roxas close, kneeling slightly on a knee to minimize the height difference, snaking his long fingers through the boy's unruly hair and smoothing it, attempting to physically calm the child whose breathing had become erratic with fear. _Please don't…_

Roxas was trying to hold back tears, wishing he had never even thought of running away. At least in his house he would have been safe from _this_. He would have given anything to go home then, would have tolerated the beatings his father doled out silently if only he were allowed to just _live_. Even through the thick haze in his mind, Roxas knew what would happen next.

The beautiful vampire felt the child shudder as he tried to keep his tears in his eyes. Ever so gently, he pressed Roxas' head into the crook of his neck, running his other hand along the boy's back and side, cursing internally at whoever had let the child become so thin. Even under the dirt and ill-fitting peasants' clothes, the vampire had recognized the boy's frail beauty, speaking to him of a long lost pedigree that had resurfaced into a peasant household from which the boy had come, if his attire was any indication. Whoever missed this beauty was a fool for not holding onto him in the first place, the vampire decided. Well, "finders keepers", wasn't it? But first:

"Shh…this will only hurt a little. Relax for me, Roxas…"

Roxas almost marveled when his body began to obey without his will behind it. The anxiety in his belly was beginning to flutter away. But it was just as well, he supposed. He was already deep within the vampire's influence. But if this was going to be his end, he wanted it to at least seem slightly more personal than dying to feed another. Slowly and with some uncertainty, Roxas wrapped his arms around the taller being's neck, his small hands coming into contact with the vampire's soft locks that seemed to be arranged in erratic spikes across his head, as much as Roxas could tell by touch.

This the vampire seemed to reciprocate, holding Roxas tighter to himself, seemingly nuzzling the place on his neck he was preparing to mark. The little hands tugging lightly on his hair only urged him further. The boy was simply mouthwatering. With a practiced swiftness, the vampire inserted long canines into the tender little neck.

Roxas allowed a choked cry to escape his lips and the tears that had welled up in his eyes finally spilled over. Initially it was a cry of surprise, for he had been relaxed up until that point from the vampire's influence. Now it seemed that the creature had withdrawn his influence altogether, for Roxas' surprised yelp quickly turned into a moan of pain. His mind began to reel from it and he struggled to get away, to move from the source of pain in his neck. But the more he struggled, the deeper the fangs seemed to pierce, until at last, he let his body fall limp as the fangs seemed to reach his very core, so long they seemed to him. As soon as he stopped his struggle, however, the fangs' progression stopped at well.

"Good boy," he heard the muffled whisper from just below his ear.

The pain seemed to ebb, but then the vampire started to drink from the punctures.

Roxas convulsed then, from shock, and from pain, which seemed to be a fire that spread from the punctures and throughout his veins with each pull on his life's blood, until it had reached the very tips of his fingers and toes and lingered there. It seared him further until he thought it unbearable, and then…

And then nothing. Roxas felt distanced, the pain still there, but far away now, somewhere in the background. Instead, the foreground of his sensation was increasingly occupied by a pleasantly cool feeling, and another feeling that was spreading from his belly where previously anxiety was coiled, a feeling that was unfamiliar to him but perhaps even more pleasant than the first. This second feeling worked its way through his lower half, throughout his loins where he was taught to avoid with his eyes. He felt his cheeks flare at this new feeling.

A minute or an hour later, Roxas began feeling fatigue. The rhythmic pull on his blood was making Roxas weak, and he let his body go limp, only managing to keep the fingers of one hand curled in the mass of red hair belonging to the vampire while the other held on loosely to the edge of the vampire's plush doublet. His vision began to swim, so he closed his eyes. He registered vaguely that he was being lifted into strong, marble arms, and that the fangs that belonged to the owner of those arms were being retracted with a semi-palpable sting, leaving the twin wounds to bleed freely.

He had so many questions. Would he die? Would he become a vampire himself? What would happen to him now? But what came out was…

"Who are you?"

The vampire chuckled at this, a magical sound to Roxas' hypersensitive ears, like bells gently agitated by the ocean breeze, the vibration from the vampire's chest leaving him tingling. Azure met emerald.

"Axel. Sleep now, Roxas."

And Roxas did just so, letting himself be carried away by the vampire into a velveteen oblivion, finally finding sanctuary in those marble arms.


	2. East of Eden

Disclaimer: I still don't own KH, or any of its characters…but I really wish I did…

Darkness. And pain. Broken apart by the occasional nothingness, these were Roxas' companions now. And once in a while, something thick and sweet that was forced into him, soothing his fevered state and sending him back into the comfortable embrace of sleep. All the while he was plagued by fever dreams of venom colored eyes, watching him from the inky black abyss in which he floated.

Some vast period of time later, Roxas became aware that he did, indeed, possess a body, and wasn't merely a floating essence of agony, drifting in blackness. He became aware of his eyes, whose lids were too heavy to lift, of his chest, which burned with every intake of breath, and of his limbs, which were frigid, frozen to the place on which he lay. All of these were seemingly centered around a concentrated lump of fire.

Eventually, Roxas regained his ability to hear. Mostly there was nothing, but at times, hushed whispers would invade his ears. He couldn't understand what was said between the many voices that would come and go, but one voice would always return and this voice was the one Roxas would hold onto in his mind. This voice was familiar to him, in a world where he knew nothing else. Sometimes the voice would speak directly to him alone, he could tell. Sweet nothings that soothed his mind when his body gave him pain. Sweet nothings that would be followed with the honey-like substance pushed past his lips, warming him until he faded out again.

And then Roxas awoke one night. There was no telling how long it had been, but finally the boy managed to weakly open his eye and look around.

Roxas desperately wanted to see around him, but all his vision from his head upon a pillow allowed was the red velvet of the canopy of the bed in which he discovered he laid. Tilting his head to the side, the boy saw that it had curtains as well. And if he lifted his head just a little, with much effort, he could see just past to foot of the grand mahogany bed, to a spacious room lit by oil lamps at the corners, dimmed no doubt for his hurting eyes. But his vision was blurry, and he could see no further than that. With a sigh of exhaustion, Roxas let his head fall back into the fluffy pillows.

No sooner had Roxas relaxed into the warmth of the blankets piled on top of him that he found that he was not alone. A familiar figure sat at the edge of the bed now.

Roxas' had no chance to speak, nor even to be alarmed, for the figure moved inhumanly fast and was suddenly standing nearer the boy's head. And then he recognized the figure.

It was he.

The vampire.

Roxas' instinct immediately told him to move, anywhere, away from this creature that had bitten him. Bitten him! The bite! That was what the strange lump of pain below his ear was! A burst of adrenaline allowed Roxas to reach a hand up to his neck, but instead of a bite, he was taken aback to find bandages encircling his neck. The vampire had bandaged him? Bandaged him and put him in a warm bed? How peculiar, indeed.

And now, the vampire simply stood there, waiting for Roxas' initial panic to subside, at which point he moved at human speed to draw back a bed curtain.

In the light of the lamps, Roxas could finally get a good look at the strange vampire who had bitten him, then spared his life. He was splendidly tall, this vampire with a narrow face and a perfectly angled nose that gave his overall features a youthful air. Roxas' eyes wandered to his lips next, which could have been the petals of a rose in another life. He was prey again, then, to the handsome vampire's glistening eyes that seemed to be holding some secret of their own within their depths, secrets of the ages past. These were accentuated by tear shaped marks on his upper cheeks. And to compliment the strange pointed marks, the vampire sported a mane of fire-red hair, like the mane of some mythic, fantastical lion. Tonight he wore and a much simpler outfit consisting of a clean cut, though still elegant, tunic of deep green silk, with fine leaf embroidery here and there in a gold thread. He paired this with ivory hose and soft, green slippers that Roxas had only seen traveling nobles in his village wear. All in all, Roxas could not have imagined up a more exquisite looking creature.

The vampire was smiling when Roxas' eyes returned to his face. There was no malice there, in that marble face, only a radiant beauty and kindness. When it appeared that the boy was calm, the vampire sat down on the edge of the luxurious bed.

Roxas was the first to break the palpable silence:

"You bit me." He was surprised by how raspy and pathetic his own voice sounded to him.

"Yes." The smile never wavered. The voice was as melodic as Roxas remembered.

"But I live!" Roxas was unsure of many things, but he was compelled to believe that he was still among the living.

"Of course, you do. But you almost didn't, if that's closer to the answer you seek." If anything the smile grew wider then and his eyes seemed to be laughing for him.

Roxas frowned at that, eyes widening in confusion and frustration.

"What…what's wrong with me…?

A regretful smile appeared on his delicate lips.

"I…took too much blood from you, little Roxas. Your body was already weak; the loss of blood is making you very ill. For this I apologize; you were simply too delicious." The gentle smile became a devious smirk that made a not-so-unpleasant chill run down Roxas spine. At this the boy blushed. There was a pregnant pause before he spoke again.

"Last night—"

"Last night was one week ago, Roxas," the vampire supplied. "You've been sleeping for a week."

He allowed for no more conversation for he stood then and reached for Roxas, one hand pulling back the blankets while the other slid beneath the youth's neck. Bundling him up in a fur, the vampire lifted Roxas and held him close, heading with his bundle of human towards the ornate door and out. Roxas quickly wove his arms around the vampire's neck to balance, letting the fur slip to just below his breastbone. He was quickly afflicted with modesty when he realized that he was, indeed, nude beneath the warm covering.

He must have dozed off for when he next opened his eyes, Roxas found himself in an ornate bathing chamber, lying, appropriately, on a fainting couch, still bundled in the fur. Beyond him was a giant bath basin, supplied with water coming from a fountain of angels holding seashells. Above him was a dome with giggling cherubs painted amid stars in a night sky. And beside him, reclining on several cushions, was the vampire.

"I wanted to let you have your rest. Do you think you're up for a bath?"

Roxas just nodded. Shyness had robbed him of his voice. Never had he seen a place such as this. Through his azure eyes, the chamber seemed to be Heaven itself for all of its splendor.

"Good. Let's see what you really look like under all that grime, hmm?" The vampire laughed lightly, not unkindly, at this and began undressing. Roxas felt alarm rising again.

"You're in no state to bathe yourself, I don't think, child."

Roxas blushed deeply for being caught frightened again. "Don't call me 'child,'" he said irritably, "I'm almost sixteen."

At this the vampire paused and laughed harder, the sound echoing off of the distant walls like peals of bells.

"I apologize, Roxas, but to me, you are still very much a child. I would tell you my age if I could remember it myself! Should be hitting the three thousand marker in a couple of decades…" he trailed off, continuing with removing his tunic, the slippers, and then the hose.

Roxas gaped unabashedly. He could not seem to wrap his mind around a figure so large. Three thousand years…

"And while we're at it, while I am _the_ vampire, I prefer to be called by my name," he continued with a smirk over his pale, flawless shoulder.

His name…? Roxas looked perplexed, trying to remember where he had heard it…Axel! That was right.

"Very good, dear Roxas."

The vampire—Axel—was he…?

"Reading your thoughts? Yes. One of my many talents." Axel was outright grinning now. Poor Roxas was in such a precarious position.

"Will you stand up for me, Roxas?" The question brought the still sprawled youth out of his predicament and back into the present. Although the request had been directed as a question, Roxas had no choice but to do as asked when Axel came over—naked, Roxas didn't fail to note—and began sliding the fur down his frail body, picking him up easily under the arms and setting him on his feet near one of the columns that surrounded the bathing basin. Roxas was thankful for the column, holding onto it for stability, his long stay in bed having done nothing for his balance and strength. Axel, meanwhile, proceeded to examine his equally unclothed body, making sounds of disapproval as his long fingers passed over the boy's prominent ribs and vertebrae, the scars of past whippings on his back, his too thin legs and arms. Roxas' breathing sped up with each lasting second that the cool hands of the other were on his heated skin.

Axel finished his exam without saying anything else. He removed the bandage around the boy's neck and gave the healing bite a once over. Gently, he lifted Roxas' hands off of the column to hold them securely in his own, and led them to the basin. Roxas' feet were having a hard time cooperating, but Axel was patient with him, coaxing him gently into the water. Roxas tensed when the liquid first swallowed his foot, but the water was warm and held no spite, so he relaxed once again.

In the bath, Roxas allowed himself to be guided to a ledge beneath the water and sat there, still embarrassed for his nakedness. Axel didn't seem the slightest bit bothered. Roxas wondered if so many years of existing had erased all his sense of modesty. Or perhaps he had been so brazen from the beginning? He certainly gave off that air now. Who was he anyway? To act so? To live in such a place?

"I think I'll let you figure that one out on your own, little Roxas," said Axel with a shake of his head. Roxas didn't quite understand, but Axel let that look of perplexity on his face slide. Instead, he took up a soft, white cloth and poured something sweet smelling onto it from an ornate bottle on the edge of the basin, and began washing the dirt from Roxas' skin, carefully avoiding the still swollen bite on his neck. Roxas began to relax into the touch. It simply felt too good, being scrubbed like that. How long had it been since he had had a proper bath? In his old life, a bath consisted of a dunk in the nearby river during the warmer season. This seemed to be a treatment for royals.

Roxas shuddered when the cloth caught on a nipple. Heat instantly pooled between his legs and his cheeks turned sanguine at his body's betrayal. Axel caught on to this instantaneously, but instead of avoiding the region, he exploited it with his fingers instead, before lowering his mouth to the abused nub while his thumb began to work on the other. Roxas mewled when he felt the vampire bite down playfully with blunt teeth. The free hand moved under the water to rub at Roxas' inner thighs as a knee gently pried his legs apart. The hand moved up. Deft fingers found the youth's perineum, applying pressure.

"Let go, Roxas. I've got you."

The growing pressure in Roxas' belly found release then, as he spent into the water.

Axel ceased his ministrations and retrieved the forgotten washcloth, submerging it and bringing it up to bathe the limp boy's face. Roxas felt boneless as his head was tipped back and the vampire poured more sweet smelling bath oil in his hair. As he gently massaged his scalp, Axel began to see the lovely gold of the youth's hair as the dirt and dust were washed away with the pomegranate soap.

Roxas was still dazed as Axel finished cleaning him, taking only a moment to dunk his own head under the soapy water and rinse it quickly beneath the fountain. Sitting himself on the ledge, he took the weary Roxas into his lap.

Roxas felt far away. The only things that felt distinct were the placed where Axel touched. He couldn't sort through his feelings for the life of him but instead locked eyes with the vampire. Axel in turn, wore a soft expression that, despite the cool vampiric skin, made Roxas feel warm and…safe. He began to doze again.

"Roxas…" the vampire mused, too quiet for the boy to hear, "Roxas…You will never want for anything again. You are in the care of Axel, the King of Vampires, now."

By then, Roxas had already succumbed to sleep once more.


	3. Noesis

Disclaimer: If I owned KH, I wouldn't have edited out all of the juicy yaoi scenes, now would I.

When Roxas next awoke, sunlight filtered itself through the windows of the same room he found himself in last time and Axel was nowhere to be found. _Of course, he's probably sleeping…somewhere…_

Slowly, the events of the previous night flooded his mind. All in all, when he thought about everything that had happened from the time of his stepping out of his backdoor for the last time to the previous night, he could not help but think of it all as…bizarre. What sort of vampire feasted on his prey, only to bring them back to their home (Roxas pretty much assumed that's where he was) only to bandage said prey and bathe their wounds? And…

Roxas blushed as his thoughts drifted on to _that_.

What _was_ that?

Roxas was not completely naïve. He knew certainly of sex, and of carnal pleasures, but now he was…confused. He knew _of _those things, but he had never _known_ them. This thing the vampire called Axel had done to him perplexed him, setting off a multitude of emotions that he just had no idea how to organize. The vampire Axel was completely out of his scope of comprehension, it seemed.

To begin with, Axel was like no vampire that Roxas had imagined could be. He could remember as far back as the days when his mother was alive, when she would tell him stories of reasonless beasts who looked only vaguely like the humans they had once been, running rampant through the night, with nothing but the instinct to drink the blood of a human. His older brother Cloud would frighten him at night, as they settled to sleep, with stories of reanimated corpses possessed by demons, cunning creatures that would lure their prey in with their charms, only to murder the poor human for food, casting their soul to the very fires of hell. His friends, the few he had in the small village, spoke of beautiful monsters with cold, black pits for eyes.

But Axel seemed none of these things. Well, cunning? Probably. Beautiful? Definitely.

But a monster? A beast? Surely a monster or beast would have killed him instead of bringing him to the place where he rested by day and giving him care. Neither were his eyes black pits. Those eyes…

Roxas had to stop thinking about it as the thought of them made his stomach flutter. He decided that at that point, he simply did not know enough about Axel to make up his mind, and he certainly didn't know enough about vampires in general if Axel was a good representation of them as a whole. And how he felt about Axel…well…

Maybe the vampire could answer some of his questions when night fell.

Roxas thought about his own home for a bit as he stared into the soft folds of the canopy overhead. He wondered briefly about his father now lacking a son. But then again, he had Cloud, who was older and stronger than Roxas by far, and who was much more suited to the blacksmith's trade with his strong arms and muscular frame. He remembered wrestling in play with his brother as a small child, happy times that ended when his mother caught the consumption and left them. Cloud grew up quickly afterwards and there was no more play. Roxas missed his brother, but knew that he had lost him long before he ran away from home. Things would probably be better for him now anyhow; there wasn't enough to eat before as it was.

His father, on the other hand, he would not miss, not ever. A man consumed by grief but who accepted no condolences, he turned to anger instead. This anger was generally directed at Roxas, who, slight by nature, like his mother, was not predisposed to hard labor. For his transgressions, Roxas would endure whippings and nights of hunger. Running away had seemed to solve at least the first problem.

Roxas had run away after narrowly escaping yet another beating. Upon leaving his very humble home, he had just run. He had had no plan of where to go, or what to do when he got to where ever he got. There wasn't much though behind his flight. It was just as well that a vampire had found him. And it was certainly well that the vampire had turned out to be…not quite what Roxas would have expected.

So what to do now?

Roxas wanted to do something other than lay in bed, but upon his attempt to rise and shine, so to speak, he quickly realized that he was still quite ill, as the vampire had said. His limbs ached from disuse, and spine was not responding well to his position. Tentatively, Roxas reached a hand up to his neck and found two things.

First, his neck was left unbandaged and, sure enough, was wearing a slightly swollen bite, two smallish holes, really, with the tender skin surrounding just barely inflamed.

And secondly, he had had to pull aside a soft collar to reach the wound. Someone—Axel, no doubt—had taken the care to put him in a soft linen nightshirt. Probably the vampire's own, judging by the sleeves that reached far past the youth's fingertips.

Roxas was also pleased to find that he was clean after last night. The previous night felt as though it may have been a dream, but here was a testament to its reality. His hair was silky to his own touch like it hadn't been in years. And it was sweet smelling, too. His scalp no longer itched; none of him did. His skin was clean. He thought he might have come out of the bath paler, even, with all the things that had been clinging to him gone. And while Roxas was not one for vanity, curiosity was nagging at him to find a mirror and look at what he looked like now, all properly (or more like _improperly_) bathed and perfumed and wearing a nobleman's nightshirt.

But of course, he hadn't the strength to even sit up, really, so that was out of the question for now. For now, he had to be contented with his mind's eye.

A knock on the door startled Roxas out of his mental mirror.

Didn't vampires sleep during the day? Who could it be then?

The knock came again.

"Um…come…in…"

Roxas was a little unnerved by what he would find—or what would find _him_—but the intruder revealed to be a young serving girl with a full, silver serving tray in her hands. Her dark hair was tucked back and away from her face, and she wore a small ruffled headdress that matched her blue and white uniform dress. Her face was pretty enough and her expression was quite pleasant.

"Good afternoon, my lord," she began, "I trust you've been sleeping well."

Roxas ran a nervous hand through his hair. _My lord?_

"Um…very well, thank you…"

"Surely you must be hungry, my lord," she mused aloud cheerfully, "his Majesty has had us up all night drawing up plans for your diet, my lord. His Majesty seems to think you are much too thin…" Like a whirlwind, she quickly darted around the room, setting and resetting various things for Roxas to eat comfortably in bed. After she had finished bustling about—having set up a nearby side table as a temporary breakfast table and unloading from her tray a multitude of little dishes containing foods that Roxas did not know what most of them were, although they all looked and smelled equally delicious he quickly decided—she moved to the scarlet bed where she helped Roxas sit up carefully, with delicate hands, and fluffed behind him many pillows upon which he comfortably reclined in a semi-seated posture. All of this happened so fast that Roxas had to take a moment to process what was transpiring.

Several things concerned Roxas then. The first of these was invariably how hungry Roxas found himself. Upon realizing this, Roxas also picked up on the faint but very distinct taste in his mouth. He thought on this and recognized it as the same, unmistakable, flavor that had been on his lips when he awoke the previous night. Surely, in all the care that had been administered to him, Roxas must have been fed sometime while he was comatose. But he was terribly hungry now, he felt as if he had not eaten in all that time. So, what was this strange but wonderful taste on his tongue that made his lips even tingle?

Roxas considered asking the serving girl but thought better of it. He would question Axel himself on these most peculiar circumstances.

The second thing that puzzled the youth was the servant before him. His first thoughts towards the girl standing to the side with a cheerful smile was that vampires had some system of ranking and that she must have been a lower rank of vampire to be serving the vampire that had taken Roxas. But then he realized that this thought was absurd, at least concerning this young girl, for it was daylight and did vampires not sleep throughout the day? But then, Roxas' many other ideas about vampires, borrowed from others, had proven themselves to be false, so maybe this one was, too?

But no, this girl had a flush to her cheeks and a tint to her skin, much unlike the pallor of the vampire who Roxas knew was such. She also had imperfections about her, such as her nails (chipped and of different lengths) as well as a small blemish near her hairline on her forehead. And when her hand had grasped at his as she was helping him to rise up from his sea of pillows to sit, it was warm, the skin springy and taut and oh so very soft in its youthfulness.

Axel's body, of which all parts Roxas had seen, even through the fog of his mind, much to his mortification, was none of these things. The vampire was a thing that was great and white, looking for all he was as a marble statue come to life. And while his skin was soft to the touch, it was cool and very smooth, the years seemingly having eroded the natural indentations in the stone of his hands to just faint lines. Neither his face, nor his hand, nor his back, nor his limbs, nor…other parts…bore any blemish, and his nails, on his fingers and his toes, seemed to be made of impossibly thin glass, for they looked polished and perfectly made.

So Roxas could only assume that the girl was, after all, human. And that brought up the real question of what she was doing there in the first place, a servant to a vampire of all things. Did the vampire collect humans? Was the girl once in the same position that Roxas was in now? What did the vampire called Axel _want_ with him, anyway? Was he looking at his own future, so to speak?

He doubted the last of those questions. No one, human or vampire, cared so lavishly for one who was destined to become his or her slave. Though the girl looked to be far from slavish to Roxas. Though she was working, it seemed that it was of her own free will; no one could act so falsely cheerful if they were being forced to do so against their will, could they? Again, Roxas did not know the extents of what exactly a vampire could or could not do, but the serving girl's happy demeanor seemed nothing if not genuine.

All of these things Roxas thought of as he picked at his food. While he was desperately hungry, his stomach turned at the thought of overeating, or even eating until he was full. The solid foods, as tasty as most of them were, Roxas ended up giving up on quickly as he felt that he was likely unable still to keep much of it down. He settled instead on a thin but expertly prepared beef broth. The serving girl would ask quietly if he was done with this or that dish and, upon seeing Roxas nod or thank her politely, take them up and replace them on the tray.

Roxas finished his broth and patted at his mouth with an embroidered napkin—also a deep red with gold roses stitched around the edges—as though it were some precious thing that he didn't want to taint for its beauty. This vampire must be some noble, he thought, to afford things like this, and for wiping one's mouth even!

He yawned then, tired again after sitting up for the while. The broth had warmed him and he was feeling sleepy once more. The servant girl must have caught on, for she quickly took the empty cup from Roxas hands and helped him settle back into bed as gently as she had helped him up. With a minimal amount of clattering of dishes, she had everything back on the tray and all of the furniture arranged back into its original positions in the room. She bid him a good sleep:

"Rest well, my lord. His Majesty will be here soon."

And with that she left, leaving Roxas to doze off against the pillows, which she had fluffed for him, dreaming of the vampire Axel.


	4. Guilty Wishes

Disclaimer: Mmm…Yaoi…I mean, I still don't own KH…

Roxas awoke a second time that day to find that it was twilight. The sun had already set below the horizon and a diffused light from the summer sun was making its last trace appearances in his room.

As though on que, before Roxas had even the chance to fully wake, the door opened then and in strode Axel, his movements like those of a large jungle cat. Taking care to light several of the oil lamps in the room (though Roxas failed to see how, or rather, with what he did this), the graceful vampire came to Roxas' bedside.

Tonight, he was decked out in the full regalia of a noble. His scarlet robes seemed to fall forever as they reached the ground, giving Axel the illusion that he was even taller, with a particularly elegant silhouette. Everywhere was complex, golden embroidery and Roxas could have sworn that those were little jewels and beads of real gold that dotted the cloth to compliment the designs. His hair was wild as ever and his green eyes sparkled like never before.

"Come 'round, Roxas," said Axel playfully, "Tonight is a most auspicious night!"

And then he moved too fast for Roxas to see and was on top of him, crimson fabric flying as he touched down on the bed, as lightly as a fallen feather. Leaning on his forearms to either side of Roxas, Axel leaned in until their noses touched, and then placed a chaste kiss on the youth's lips. And another. And then another, until he was littering his lips, his cheeks, his nose, his tightly shut eyes, with little kisses. He could hear Roxas heart pounding but the boy did nothing to resist. Axel pressed further, kissing Roxas' mouth fully now, allowing the smaller body to acclimate before asking permission with his tongue. Roxas did not fully understand, but tentatively parted his lips, allowing some instinct-like force to guide him. Axel obliged him gently. He moved his arms, meanwhile, into a position where he could stroke the petite blond's hair, running his fingers through it, knowingly beckoning Roxas to respond into the kiss.

But while Roxas had allowed Axel to enter his mouth, he kept his own tongue so far back that he was tempted to swallow it. His eyes were wide, pleading for some help with this thing that he had never done before. Axel was ever the gentle teacher, prodding carefully within the other, eventually drawing out a response from Roxas, however awkward and meek. The youth's virginal movements seemed to excite the vampire even more, for when he finally broke the kiss to let the boy breathe, as humans were wont to do, he nearly returned to continue right then. Instead, he continued onward, while the boy panted for breath, kissing his neck (to which Roxas instantly tensed, and with good reason) and further down (to which Roxas didn't know how to respond, whether to relax or to tense some more), past his collarbone where he began to loosen the cords holding the neckline of the nightdress together as he ran his hands down and moved in a southerly direction on Roxas body altogether.

Roxas thought he could tell where it was all leading, for to what other ends were such touches a means to? Even Roxas knew this. He panicked.

_Say something! Anything…!_

"W-What's your favorite color?"

_Stupid, stupid, stupid! Ah!_

Axel smirked inwardly but stopped his pursuit for the moment and moved back up Roxas' body. There, he settled himself between the youth's legs on his stomach and reached out to stroke the boy's face.

"Lapis Lazuli, I would think," he began breathily, his voice like wisps of air, as he gazed deeply into Roxas' eyes. "Or not," he changed his mind with a slight frown, tilting his head just slightly to the side, as though he studied a work of art and searched for the words to describe what he saw. "Lapis Lazuli is dull, compared to those lovely eyes; it doesn't reflect and is opaque—unlike them. Sapphire, perhaps? But what sapphire could compare to your sympathetic gaze, my dear Roxas? Were I to pluck one of those beautiful eyes and wear it on my finger, no wretched sapphire would ever compare. But never would I dare, for then it would soon decay and be lost forever. Or the blue, blue sky, when there are no clouds on the clearest day. Is it deep enough, however…"

Roxas shuddered. He did not know what to make of such compliments. Bizarre but beautiful they were, just like the one who had uttered them. Axel continued:

"And perhaps the sun is my other favorite color," he mused as he wove his fingers into Roxas' roughly chopped and tousled hair. "These golden filaments like flax, or the finest fibers of wheat, that suit so perfectly your eyes like stars suit night…"

Roxas was taken aback by this lavish praise, at a loss for words. He was sure his mouth was hanging open on its hinges if ever so slightly.

"Did my Roxas expect me to say 'red'?" said the vampire, his eyes now filled with shining mischief.

Roxas cheeks burned. There was something else he wanted to ask.

"Um…A-Axel, will you tell me about vampires?"

Axel wasn't the least bit surprised at this question. He had expected it sooner or later, and there were things Roxas deserved to have explained to him, after all.

"Certainly, Roxas," he said conversationally. "What would you like to know?"

Now that he had asked, Roxas wasn't sure what it was exactly what it was he wanted to know specifically. Where to start?

"Are you really three thousand years old?"

"Almost."

"Alright…can you fly?"

"Yes." Axel was amused when the boy's eyes grew in childish awe.

"Can you turn into a wolf?"

"No, but I can command one."

"Can all vampires read minds?"

"Only to an extent. I can hear your thoughts so well because we share a blood bond."

"What is a 'blood bond?'"

"It is…the thing that binds you to me. It forms when a vampire shares blood with a human. The strongest of these is the bond between a vampire and their Sire."

Roxas thought on this for a second. "Share…blood? But I never—"

"You did, Roxas. You just probably don't remember it. I fed you my blood to help heal you after I took too much."

Roxas' eyes went wide. His hand went to his mouth without him thinking of it. That strange, tingling taste on his lips…!

"Yes, the very one," the vampire supplied with a grin.

Roxas panicked. Sharing blood with a vampire meant…

"Am I a vampire now?!" he cried with eyes like saucers.

Axel stared at his outburst for a moment, and then burst out into laughter himself. He composed himself enough to say to Roxas:

"My, my! Such strange ideas about vampires you have, little Roxas! Be at ease. You may be bonded to me, but you are just as human as you were when I found you. Although in a much better condition, to be sure…The little draughts of my blood were only enough to revitalize you. But no, that is not how vampires are made. Though _that_ question, I will save for another time."

The youth visibly relaxed and though his curiosity was peaked, he was contented just to know that he was still human.

"Right now, I'd like to show you off a bit to everyone at Court," finished Axel with a flash of teeth.

_Huh?_

Roxas went back to a state of perturbation. To what Court? A vampire Court? Like the _king's Court?!_

"What other Court would it possibly be, sweet Roxas?"

Roxas didn't want to meet the vampires' king. Ever. Terror seized his heart at the thought. He had been told numerous stories of this ruthless king, who was said to be a harbinger of death and destruction, conquering territory without mercy, and leaving a trail of gore over those lands that refused his conquest. A veritable monster he was said to be. And why was Axel smirking? Was Roxas to be the offering to the beastly ruler?

To make matters worse, with each further thought of Roxas' Axel would only laugh more animatedly, until Roxas wanted to cry.

Sensing the youth's distress, Axel moved off the bed and crossed to the other side, where he kneeled and took Roxas' cold and clammy hand in his colder one.

"No one will harm you, Roxas, I give you my word as…a creature of honor. I can guarantee it, but you will have to trust me, yes?"

Roxas nodded meekly, his eyes still wide with fear. At Roxas' acquiescence, Axel replaced his hand on the bed and proceeded to draw the covers back, leaving Roxas in only his nightdress. This he grasped the hem of and began raising it slowly over Roxas' feet, then ankles, then calves, but when he reached the boy's knees, Roxas grasped at the same hem to keep it from going any higher.

"N-No! What are you doing?!"

"Roxas," Axel spoke seriously now, "you said you would trust me, did you not? Now, this is the only way I can keep you safe. Please, trust me. I'll only have a taste, I promise."

A taste? Roxas was confused again. Nothing was making sense anymore.

But Axel used the boy's hesitation to quickly jerk the nightshirt up past his knees to barely cover his unmentionable parts, and pull a stretched out leg up at the knee, bending it into position slightly to the side to reveal the femoral artery. Axel himself wound around the shaking calf until his nose was almost touching the youth's inner thigh.

Roxas whimpered, but otherwise stayed still on his elbows, looking down his body and trying to understand what it was that the vampire would do.

"Lie back. Relax. Close your eyes…._Roxas_…"

Roxas obeyed quietly and let sensation wash over him, as Axel began to rub gently at his inner thigh. It was…pleasant, somehow.

Axel waited for the prime moment, when he felt the boy go limp at his ministrations, and promptly bit into the artery. He felt Roxas' body jump with the shock of it and heard him cry out as he fisted the sheets while his knuckles went white. One arm went around the soft thigh to keep it still while the other crept upwards…

Roxas saw stars as the vampire began to draw on his blood. Like the first time in the alley, the initial entry of his fangs seemed to burn through the petit blond, but this feeling was quickly replaced by a pleasurable coolness. Roxas felt like he was run through by two threads: one from the bite to his heart that tensed and released in time with the pull on his blood, and the other, from the punctures to his groin. Roxas sucked in a too fast, painful breath on account of the latter. He became faintly aware of the hand stroking him _there_. His eyes shot open but all he saw was red, red, red.

By then, Axel had already removed his fangs and was lapping at the twin punctures, cleaning off the last little remnants of blood off of the little thigh. Satisfied with his taste—no blood had ever tasted so good, at least none that he could recall—he moved his lips over the heated skin and up to join his hand at the apex of Roxas' legs. As his tongue began working on the little shaft, he took care to tease the slit at the top with his thumb, coaxing out a carnal moan from Roxas, who was beyond caring that such a thing was being done to him, as it overpowered even his rational thought. Deciding to step things up a bit, Axel moved his hand down to make room for his lips. Roxas bucked straight off the bed, arching his back, as he felt his organ enveloped by a wet, and so very, very hot enclosure. And then Axel began to suck, weaving his tongue around in intricate patterns on the underside as he engulfed the youth to the very base, Roxas' thin, curly golden down tickling his nose just slightly. Axel encouraged him gently, hands ghosting over his thighs, his stomach, his quickly rising and falling chest. The coil of pressure in Roxas' belly grew tighter and tighter until it suddenly released, as the youth gave forth in violent, erratic spasms a viscous white fluid, which the vampire accepted without hesitation, swallowing until the softening member was clean of all but his saliva.

Again, Roxas body went limp as he tried to regulate his breathing. He vaguely felt it as Axel replaced his nightdress down to his ankles again and the shift on the bed as he rose, then sat once more at Roxas' shoulders. From the bedside table he took a cloth and poured cool water on it from a polished silver pitcher, wiping the cloth over Roxas' furrowed brow, removing the fine sheen of sweat that had accumulated there. Roxas met his eyes and to him, the vampire looked truly feline at that moment, like a cat that had sipped of its milk and enjoyed it thoroughly. He then did something that Roxas didn't expect.

Axel raised his own finger to his mouth and bit down, creating a single puncture. He pressed this finger then to Roxas lips. The boy was hesitant and recoiled as much as his body would allow.

"Drink, Roxas. This is how I fed you the first time, as you slept," he urged gently.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Roxas slowly accepted the bloody finger offered to him into his mouth and began to pull at the vampire's blood, finding that it was, indeed, the taste of his lips when he awoke that morning. It was cool and seemed to calm his overheated body and its sweet tang, he found, was to his liking. He felt the tingle in his fingers and toes, like an aftershock to his recent orgasm.

Axel himself was caught between pain and ecstasy, in that very perfect place where the two combined. Roxas was nowhere near death now, so for once Axel would allow Roxas to feast upon _his_ blood. Not that he would withhold it from him. It was just that tonight was a special night. Tonight, all of the eager vampires of the Court would be allowed to look upon his human for the first time. It had been over a week now and all sorts of gossip had been spreading, catching around the castle like fire. There were mixed opinions about Axel's keeping a human, something he hadn't done since…centuries ago. That incident had not ended well. Many remembered. Many were afraid it would happen once more, especially in the High Court, especially when the rumors of the boy's appearance had begun to spread. But Axel would have none of it; he had made it clear to the Court the night of Roxas' appearance. Tonight, Roxas would be filled with his blood and he with Roxas,' and together with Axel's scent all over Roxas after he had loved the boy, well…no one would contest who Roxas belonged to tonight. No one would dare touch him, knowing whose wrath they would incur. And all would know Axel's own intentions. Roxas was _his_.

The little wound was beginning to close and Axel took back his hand, apologizing by stroking Roxas' face with the other when the younger one whimpered at the loss.

Axel stood then. He turned and reached for Roxas, lifting him out of bed with an arm beneath his knees, the other supporting his back like a fragile thing that would break with just too strong a touch. He brought the little body to his chest, the nightshirt dangling far past his little feet, and Roxas wound his arms around the vampire's neck, snuggling for a moment in his warm velvet robes and soft long hair and a scent that Roxas was quickly discovering was unique to Axel.

Axel, Axel, Axel.

They were going somewhere then, out the door and down a long, long, long hallway awash with light and with ceilings so high that Roxas had to crane his neck, only to discover with great amazement that the ceilings were paintings. They passed many doors and took many turns. Roxas began to wonder what this huge place was. He had though he was being held in a nobles' estate house somewhere, but this…this was a palace! No noble had such a home as this, surely! Could it be…that they were already in the castle of the vampire king? Roxas couldn't imagine such a beautiful place belonging to a king of vampires. Not with chandeliers so magnificent and halls so bright.

But a thought kept nagging at Roxas, and it intensified by the minute, especially when they would pass the seldom maid or other servant in the many halls, who, as Axel passed, would bow or curtsy their lowest and drop their heads, uttering a quiet, "your Majesty." Axel didn't acknowledge this except with a growing grin.

Roxas stared up at him, still clinging to his neck. It couldn't be, could it?

But he had no time to wonder more, as Axel came to a stop before ornate double doors that began to open.


	5. White Rabbit's Hole

AN: Woo-hoo! I'm back, with my handy, beaten up and not-so-dandy notebook! So…much…editing…

Disclaimer: I've yet to acquire the rights to anything you recognize, but if anyone is feeling generous, I won't have the heart to say 'no', of course.

_Previously:_

_But a thought kept nagging at Roxas, and it intensified by the minute, especially when they would pass the seldom maid or other servant in the many halls, who, as Axel passed, would bow or curtsy their lowest and drop their heads, uttering a quiet, "your Majesty." Axel didn't acknowledge this except with a growing grin. _

_Roxas stared up at him, still clinging to his neck. It couldn't be, could it?_

_But he had no time to wonder more, as Axel came to a stop before ornate double doors that began to open. _

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkened space; the candles—hundreds upon hundreds of them—seemed to flicker and fade in a reverence. Roxas didn't know what to expect behind the doors, but what he saw upon their opening was certainly surprising to him. His cerulean eyes widened at the sight before him.

The high vaulted ceiling, candles all around, the ornate columns and sculpted walls, the magnificent chandeliers and arched passageways—these things only registered vaguely in Roxas' mind; these things were second to his main focus. It was the people—the perfectly sculpted, milky skinned vampires—hundreds of them, dancing within, that caught the young boy's attention as his grip on his keeper's neck loosened, his mind too stunned and too busy observing what was in front of him. There were so many and they were all so…beautiful, so elegant and graceful and richly dressed that Roxas felt suddenly embarrassed at wearing only a simple linen shift to such a place, forgetting he had nothing else for a moment. It was a ball of some sort, surely. There was dancing and laughing and a dark magic seemed to permeate the very air. Damasks and velvets and brocades abounded, twirling and swaying in mesmerizing rhythm with their owners as they stepped together in a flawless sync. The light was dim and flickering, casting mysterious shadows that seemed to dance apart from their beautiful owners, all swan-like limbs and deadly fangs and spun-sugar hair. Music he had not been aware of made itself known to his ears, a dark waltz in this scene from a gothic fairytale.

And then suddenly, it all stopped. The music was cut and the sparkles cast by the many jewels of the many ladies shimmered in place, and all of the dancers stopped, still as stone, to look at the newcomers.

"Majesty," they all cooed reverently, dropping their heads as they bowed or curtsied their lowest, stepping aside to create a path right down the middle of the crowd.

Roxas thigh throbbed. A chill crept down his spine.

He looked up at Axel who nodded slightly with a placating smile, accepting their welcome.

"Axel…!It's you! The vampire king…!" Roxas blurted out incredulously into the silence. He instantly regretted it: although it was barely above a whisper, the entire magnanimous ballroom obviously heard. There were gasps and Roxas saw shock on some faces, disapproval and disgust on others, and still fear on more. No one spoke to the sovereign of all vampires like that.

The chill intensified and fear coiled itself in the boy's belly.

But Axel's demeanor never changed. He stayed just as merry, if not a bit sardonic, as he had been and, with a wink at the youth, said:

"Caught me, Roxy."

Roxas' heartbeat sped up then. He still didn't know enough about Axel for his comfort, but he certainly knew that this was not the vampire king he had believed had taken over his village and land and people. Confused and frightened of the creatures around him, Roxas willed himself to shrink as he curled himself tighter in Axel's arms.

But Axel was not one to be shaken. With a calm and regal dignity, he proceeded to walk the path created for him and his charge by the mass of vampires, who once more, bowed or curtsied as he passed, only the boldest daring to take a quick peek at their sovereign's human, blond and lily white and dressed so simple and pure. Roxas watched with a certain fascination as they passed the many attendants of the ball.

Without delay, the pair approached a short staircase that led to a raised dais at the far wall of the marble room. Upon it sat a single throne, adorned with gold and velvet and furs. But Axel did not ascend the little stairs, turning around instead to face the gathering of vampires, who had moved to keep the proper space from their king.

With a motion too quick for Roxas to see, or rather realize, Axel slid him from his arms and onto the cool marble tiles, twirling him around once for all to see as the nightdress fluttered about his skinny legs like a chiffon gown, a motion through which Roxas stumbled awkwardly, his knees buckling beneath him, until he realized he could stand on his own, if but a little. The bite in his thigh ached and the darkening burgundy stain on his gown above the knees embarrassed him.

"My human, Roxas," Axel spoke, addressing all present. Though the words were spoken softly, there was a glass edge to them, sharp and threatening, looming with a tangible presence long after their audible tender had faded into thick silence.

Curious, hungry eyes wandered Roxas' body as he shakily stood before the vampire gathering. His scent tantalized them, speaking to them of his youth and virginity, of his fragility and fear, but also of his bond to their sovereign, which kept them at bay. Look, look, but never touch, it said.

After a short eternity of Roxas fidgeting from the deep cold of the stone beneath his feet and the judgment of a thousand eyes that sent icy shivers down his spine, the silence thick and tense, Axel lifted him into his arms again, cradling him as he took them up to the dais and sat upon his throne with the boy on his lap, the white gown mingling with the velvets and covering them like a blanket.

Of the mass on the floor, a few distanced themselves from the rest and came forward, nearly a dozen males in splendid robes not unlike their king, ranging from festive to demure, and a lady in an elegant frock of deep golden satins. Caught between fright at the new onslaught and curiosity as to the nature of these gleaming personages, Roxas shrank into his smiling master's vestments, all but his bright eyes, resigned to keep their sparkling vigil from the cover of silk and velvet. The fiery haired king looked upon the hiding boy fondly and stroked his hair with a leisurely hand.

The company bowed deeply in a practiced, fluid motion, dropping their heads in respect to their monarch.

Axel shifted his willowy frame until his lips were close enough to Roxas' ear. "My high court," he whispered innocently, and Roxas shivered as the pull on his wounds was tightened. Axel's ghostly smile sent flutters to Roxas' gut, cherubic cheeks coloring with discomfiture at his inability to suppress his awkward emotional stirrings.

Straightening, Axel introduced his high court individually, though Roxas paid little mind. Another bow and they dispersed, leaving the king and his charge to each other as the music was started again and the merry dancing resumed as though the weighty interlude had not taken place.

"Majesty…"

Axel looked up from his observation of his timid human to acknowledge one of the high court who had lingered, a male with long silver hair that hung gracefully at his back, loose but for...

"Is that a plait in your hair, Riku? Your Sora's work, I presume?" Axel remarked with barely hidden delight.

Roxas felt the words and bubbling laughter that spread through Axel's chest. His vampiric keeper was speaking. He allowed his curiosity to override his fear for the moment and looked down the dais to see a man who he remembered briefly as one of the privileged few who Axel had mentioned by name.

Though his black robes distinguished him from the others in the room and his contrastingly pale hair seemed to glow for it, Roxas eyes were swept to his face that was only partially visible; a black sash covered the man's eyes, giving him a sinister appearance. The only color apparent on him was a small blue bow hanging at the end of a skinny braid resting on his shoulder.

Riku, as Axel had called him, appeared to raise a brow at the king's comment, but then dropped his head slightly and let his serious lips take on a humble smile that suddenly brought warmth to his presence and banished the chill that that had set over Roxas. Though the boy could not see Riku's eyes, the fine animation of his face had the boy suspecting that they were cast down in an odd sort of humility.

"Yes," he said, annoyance creeping its way into his voice. "My charge is responsible for this…festive…accessory."

"And were is the boy?" Axel pressed lightly.

"Clearly brushing up on his disobedience; I intended—!"

"Master!" a youthful voice called out.

Roxas watched alarmed from his perch on Axel's lap as Riku seemed to cringe at a small figure pushing through dancing crowds towards them.

"Master!" the newcomer called again.

"Come here, Sora!" Riku said sternly without bothering to turn his head. "Where have you been all night? I told you to stay by my side this night."

"I'm sorry, Master! I wished only to tell Althea how lovely her hair looked without the nesting birds when Mina stole my slipper and handed it to—!"

"Enough, child! How many times must I tell you? You cannot speak thusly to a lady and…"

As Riku continued to scold the boy, Roxas observed. The boy, Sora, appeared to be about his age, with a bed head not unlike his own, which, unbeknownst to Roxas, was the cause of the great displeasure on his silver haired master's face, along with the kiss-mark on his cheek and his snagged stockings.

With a small gasp, Roxas realized that the boy was human like himself! His ruddy cheeks were quite unlike the marble visages of the vampires and revealed, along with his stabilizing breath, that he was warm and living. A human!

Axel, who had been watching the exchange in front of him with lazy amusement, looked to Roxas and brushed blond tresses from his forehead.

"…furthermore, you will be punished for your misbehavior towards your master, Miss Althea, and his Majesty. Is that quite understood?"

Sora began to apologize languidly sometime between admonitions, but his idle litany suddenly became a spastic torrent upon hearing "Majesty," complete with haphazardly low bows to the king punctuating what were now sincere words of contrition.

Roxas giggled despite himself.

"Sora…" Axel began, brow raised.

"My deepest, sincerest, most…most lugubrious—_illustrious_!—beggings of—"

"Sora! That's quite enough," Axel said sternly, though the corners of his dark-rimmed eyes betrayed his disinclination for real incense. He continued more kindly: "You may redeem yourself by becoming friend to my Roxas."

Sora brought himself to a standing position once more and the two human children met eyes for the first time then. Roxas was too stunned at first to be apprehensive as was his nature, but the smile Sora gave him was so genuine, so candidly warm, that the young blond could do nothing but return a shy smile of his own. Although the blond knew not what his future held, if he were allowed a friend in this alien place—and a boy his own age, at that—perhaps…perhaps it would not be so frightening, even if it were certain to be strange.

Roxas held onto that warmth as Axel spoke to Riku of what the boy presumed were political or some other such serious matters, as both vampires sobered in their exchange. He settled himself comfortably against his fiery-haired keeper's body, to tired to follow any more goings-on in this mysterious new place; the little human was content for the moment to watch the glistening dancers twirling in the fluttering lights.

PS: Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing, even after a year of hiatus on my part! It's brought me back, so thanks for being so awesome and keep 'em coming! ^_~


	6. Because the Night

AN: Yeah, yeah, it took forever, I know... Really, though, lots of things have kept me busy (boring, real life stuff) but I haven't forgotten about this fic!

Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine, not mine...

_Previously:_

_Although the blond knew not what his future held, if he were allowed a friend in this alien place—and a boy his own age, at that—perhaps…perhaps it would not be so frightening, even if it were certain to be strange._

_Roxas held onto that warmth as Axel spoke to Riku of what the boy presumed were political or some other such serious matters, as both vampires sobered in their exchange. He settled himself comfortably against his fiery-haired keeper's body, to tired to follow any more goings-on in this mysterious new place; the little human was content for the moment to watch the glistening dancers twirling in the fluttering lights._

__x.X.x

Roxas was dreaming. He was warm and lazy and relaxed, and he was dreaming of sunshine on his face, caressing his eyelids until the golden haze enveloped his mind in a cocoon of bliss. A pleasant tingle of heat tickled his cheeks and neck. A playful breeze chased the tingled away and swept through his flaxen locks.

So wonderful, he thought. He could imagine that he was feeling soft, down filled pillows beneath his head as he floated in a sea of frothy blankets. No cruel father to beat him. No villagers to pity him. No pain, no blood, no vampires...

Roxas bolted upright with such force that his teeth rattled. His heart pounded and blood rushed in his ears as he recalled the strange night in the arms of the vampires' king. Slowly he remembered the eerily beautiful party, sitting in the lap of the mysterious monarch as various vampires presented themselves. He remembered the click-clack of heeled shoes on marble floors and predatory eyes and marble skin. He remembered sparkling jewels and the cold night air and a young human boy with ruddy cheeks and wild hair who mingled happily with the crowd of white immortals. And he remembered his own sleepy eyes, misty and unseeing, as he was carried, carried away by that same king...

And then Roxas was confused, for he seemed to have awoken but remained dreaming of sunshine; his stinging eyes reassured him, however, that the light was, indeed, real.

The boy allowed his breathing to calm. The light, balmy air came through an open window and eased his mind.

In truth, he had nearly forgotten about the sun's light, or more likely, had bid goodbye to the yellow rays at the first true understanding of his keeper's nature. He had awoken to find day in this place once before, but he had been fevered then. This time, it seemed so much more...real. And Axel was asleep now, as was the belief. The daylight would bind him to whatever darkness he chose for rest.

"Good morning, my lord! Did you sleep well?"

"Gaah!" Roxas, so engrossed in his thoughts and still in the process of waking, startled, his body nearly falling to the hard floor as his legs tangled hopelessly in the sheets. He hadn't heard the door or the girl.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, my lord!" the girl cried as she rushed forward to the gasping boy. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes," Roxas breathed through trembling lips. Frustration welled in him; every little bump seemed to set him off lately. It was becoming positively humiliating now that he was lucid enough to realize it! If only that lucidity would reach to his senses, he thought…

"Are you well, my lord?"

Roxas broke out of his aggravation then. The girl's voice was timid and shook a little and she held her breath as if she were afraid that any more unforeseen movement on her part would further break the little human lord. He dimly recognized her from the previous day, particularly the lacy piece she wore on her head.

He smiled just a little and nodded, and she seemed to visibly relax.

Once again she set about to bringing him breakfast in bed, and once again Roxas accepted it all awkwardly, partly for not knowing how exactly to refuse the service and partly because the dished placed under his nose left little room in his mind for thinking. His stomach took charge and he found himself eating with much fervor. Sleep had done his body good; any lingering nausea was mostly pushed aside as it accepted the delicious nourishments of pastries and cheeses and things that Roxas could not name and did not particularly care to at that moment.

As breakfast began to wind down, the servant began to remove the plates and silverware and Roxas slipped back into his head. He felt awkward again, here in this place that still made him shiver with anxiety at its vastness and magnitude and opulence, not to mention the nocturnal residents. _What to do now?_

The click-clack of porcelain and silver quieted and footsteps approached the bed once more.

"After you finish your breakfast, my lord, the Master, his Majesty, has said that you are free to explore the castle as you wish. His Majesty only commands that you do not enter the west wing; the rest is free for your enjoyment."

_That_ piqued Roxas interest.

"What's in the west wing?"

"I…I do not know, my lord," she responded stiffly. "I was only told by his Majesty that it is forbidden. But please do not be disheartened!" she continued with renewed mirth, "the castle contains excellent diversions of all sorts! The Master has a beautiful collection of art in the gallery, and largest library on the continent..."

Roxas bit his lip and his face heated.

The servant girl saw his discomfort and decided not to press that topic.

"But it is a very lovely day outside, my lord," she picked up, "and winter will be coming quite soon; his Majesty keeps a vast menagerie and the gardens are lovely now and full of roses! A little sunshine would bring some color to your cheeks, my lord, if I may say; the Master would be most pleased."

Roxas looked out the window again, at the cobalt sky beckoning him. Fatigue still nagged at his body and mind but he pushed it away. He was wary of his place in the strange castle and he was restless a bit now, resentful of the weakness that plagued his limbs, and so made the decision to get out of the plush bed.

The servant smiled when the boy looked at her and nodded.

As she began to bustle about the room, opening drawers and doors, Roxas nervously removed the covers and slipped his feet to the soft carpet on the floor of the bedside. His trembling hands grasped his thigh when the motion irritated the wound that he had nearly forgotten was there. He briefly replayed the encounter by which the puncture was received and fought to avoid the tell-tale blush that was beginning to heat his cheeks. He noted offhandedly that he had been dressed in a clean gown, free of blood. After wiggling his toes in the fine rug, Roxas chanced standing.

The young maid returned from her round about the spacious chamber carrying armfuls of fabric, all blue and sliver and shimmering.

There was a shert of soft cotton with billowing sleeves, impossibly sheer socks to the thigh (three pairs, in blue, silver, and cream), two long sleeved doublets and one with no sleeves (in colors that matched the socks), three matching trousers (ones as long as the shin, ones that stopped at the knee, and a short puffed pair that went no further than the middle of the thigh), and a variety of dazzling shoes—slippers and little heels, with sharp and round and tapered noses. Roxas had never seen so many fine pieces of clothing in his old life and could barely connect that these things in front of him were small enough for a child—for him.

"These belonged to Lord Riku's charge, Sora, when he was a bit younger. His Majesty wishes you would wear them, my Lord, until the tailor has fitted you a wardrobe if your own." Roxas gaped.

"His Majesty will send for the tailor as soon as the young lord is well," she continued with a smile. "Please wear these for the moment, my lord; the sizing should be quite close…" The boy didn't know what to do as she fussed with various garments, approximating which would fit his slight frame best. He was relieved when she seemed to settle on a deeper blue ensemble.

As she reached for him, Roxas tensed involuntarily. The servant's hands halted in their journey and returned to rest awkwardly at her sides once more.

"I shall…go fetch a comb for you, my lord…" With that she disappeared, leaving Roxas to himself. The boy glanced momentarily at the vanity and its two combs and brush before resigning himself to the abundance of fabric waiting for him.

Roxas sighed inwardly. He was stuck in a strange place with even stranger residents, in a nightshirt that was surely worth more than him in his old life. What was there to do but dress?

x.X.x

Roxas didn't wait for the maid to return. His curiosity overwhelmed him and he left the lavish bedchamber to explore. Perhaps he would find a way out?

The halls looked different in the daylight; nothing was quite familiar in the gentle dawn. He had remembered vast ceilings and great paintings and light, but this was quite different. It had been bright and beautiful, yes, but something was missing now. There was no sign of the ominous shadows and hidden corners from the previous night. This place just didn't seem like it housed an ancient vampire. Surely Roxas could not have dreamt such a thing?

But there was more. Something else was amiss. The halls felt too cold…too empty. Lifeless.

Roxas shook the eerie feeling and continued in a random direction.

The castle was like a maze. For every turn, there were three more and no one of them seemed to lead to a previous path. There were also no other people to be met.

Drawing up some bravery—and with no apparent watchers—Roxas begun opening the occasional doors he came across. He found little of interest mostly, just sitting and drawing rooms, although the music room with its ornately painted pianoforte and gilded harp. He could not find the library of which the servant girl spoke, although that was just as well, he supposed…

As he roamed the vast palace, Roxas thoughts turned to the strange puzzle that was vampire Axel. His mind warred against itself.

_He's a vampire! _

_But he hasn't done anything cruel…he hasn't hurt me…_

Red flashed on the fingers and hands in the boy's mind.

_He bit you! He drank your blood! You were almost killed!_

_But I wasn't killed…he let me live. He fed me, and put me in a warm bed…_

_You should have never left home!_

Roxas startled at the bitter snort that he unwittingly let out.

_Home? Right, I forgot how much I love a good beating and starvation and freezing to death on a dirt floor. _

On and on Roxas battled his mind as he wandered aimlessly through the great halls and spacious rooms. A sudden slam behind him shook him out of his tumultuous thoughts and he turned towards the source of the sound.

It was the brunette boy from the party, Sora.

The blonde stilled in his tracks as he gauged what the newcomer would do. Should he run? The boy wasn't particularly threatening, thought Roxas, but in this place, looks did not appear to be completely honest.

But then the other boy smiled and raised his hands in an appeasing gesture, and Roxas felt the anxiety roll of his shoulders.

Sora moved to cross the distance between them with an easy gait. His hair was scruffy as Roxas remembered, at odds with the bright twinkle in his eyes. He radiated good humor and health. His clothing, similar to Roxas' own, showed the light wear of his daily activities, though was still in far better shape than the blonde's outfit (for Roxas had never dressed in so many layers all at once, and all by himself at that).

"Hello!" called the brunette.

"H-Hi…" answered the blonde shyly.

"I just had class. Mathematics. Sooo boring!"

"Class?"

"Yeah. My master said his Majesty will send you to class, too. When you're better, I mean… er, _feeling_ better!"

Roxas laughed despite himself. He found the dark haired boy was easy to talk to and naturally friendly. He decided he might like to learn lessons with this boy. Whether he would be allowed to participate once Axel and the tutor found out how much education he didn't have….

For now, he wouldn't think about it. Instead, he listened as Sora opened up more and more with each word, chatting freely about the tutor and the castle and the various things he would have rather been doing had he not been stuck in a lesson for an hour. They walked together amiably.

Roxas allowed Sora to lead as he hung back a moment to observe. Sora seemed to be walking strangely, limping in a way that he could not recall as part of the brunette boy's gait the evening they had first met.

"What's wrong with your legs?"

Sora stopped and turned to face the blond. He blushed. With a shy smile he said, "my master punished me for the ball…" He did not seem put off by this. Roxas did not understand but said nothing.

The pair continued in silence until they reached the gardens, Sora sporting an indecent grin the whole way.

x.X.x

The afternoon slipped into evening before either boy realized.

After they had reached the gardens, Sora had coaxed Roxas into a spar, using sticks to stand in for swords. The blond had been timid and uncertain at first but quickly fell into the easy rhythm of the game under the enthusiastic tutelage of the other boy. Soon the pair were laughing and chasing one another through the roses and into the orange grove, past fountains and statuary.

Roxas had forgotten all about running away and escaping. Once he was outside, he saw that the countryside was completely alien, and that the castle was perched atop a great hill and no view seemed familiar. But it was green and lush and beautiful, and the sky was blue as a cornflower, and the air was clean and crisp and fresh.

When the sun had reached its zenith, smiling servants fetched the boys to lunch on the terrace. Roxas nearly licked his fingers clean of the delicious roasted potatoes and crunchy green vegetables and succulent roasted bird that Sora called a "pheasant."

Then they went back to playing. Roxas began to tire as they ran past the lake on the grounds, angering many a duck on their way. The sun had begun to set by the time Sora had them running into the forest and Roxas became apprehensive. But he simply hadn't the courage to tell his new friend of his foreboding.

The blond boy forgot his apprehension in favor of the newfound fun he was having, weaving around massive tree trunks and jumping over low hanging branches. He had stopped for a minute to catch his breath, and when he looked up he was alone.

A shard of panic wedge itself into Roxas' chest as he looked around helplessly for Sora, but his companion was nowhere to be seen.

"Sora!" he called out, over and over, but there was no answer. Had he gone back? Roxas turned around and began sprinting towards the castle…but he realized that he had no idea which way the castle was. All of the trees looked identical and there were no footprints left by his soft slippers in the soil and leafy debris of the forest floor. Roxas was lost.

x.X.x

The forest seemed to swallow the light, for even the last tendrils of the sun seemed to disappear, though Roxas was sure it was still a little while until the darkness of dusk. A cold wind seemed to pick up from within the blackening trees, chilling his slender frame to the teeth. And it was quiet…much too quiet. Roxas' own breathing dominated his hearing range, alongside the unsteady crackling of fallen flora beneath the youth's feet.

Roxas walked and walked, but the thicket deepened. He had been looking for the way out for hours to no avail. The little light that had provided some tie to the safety of the castle gardens had disappeared completely now, leaving darkness to swallow the young boy wholly.

Cold and fog began to creep upon to forest floor. But the icy chill that crept up Roxas' back had little to do with that. Night fell and with it came company.

Sound was Roxas' first inclination that he was not alone. Whereas before the only noise came from his own footsteps, now there was a cracking that followed him as he stumbled his way past the looming leafy giants.

Soft rumbling caught the boy's ears next. All around it seemed to be, low and distant at first until it became louder and closer and he almost felt the hoarse breath beneath his skin.

When hungry, yellow lights revealed themselves from between the trunks, Roxas took off running.

Shadows blurred together as the boy ran for his life. Angry branches grabbed at his doublet and swatted his body like whips. Thorns shredded his hose and stung delicate skin.

The lights advanced and were joined by the furious beating of agile limbs.

Roxas didn't dare look back. Exhausted and mindlessly frightened, he kept running. Sweat poured down his face and inflamed the cuts there. A bitter, metallic taste made its way onto his tongue; blood poured freely down his cheeks and past his lips and Roxas startled, just for a moment, a moment in which a root caught his foot and he was no longer running, but falling, falling, falling.

As Roxas skidded to a stop in the dirt, a weight landed upon him and flipped him forcefully onto his back faster than he could understand. For a moment he only breathed heavily, feeling the air burn past the cage of his ribs and the flittering heart within. When his wide blue eyes met with glowing yellow ones, he screamed.

The shrill sound echoed across the forest as Roxas met face to face with his assailant. Soulless eyes searched the boy for the source of the blood, deformed lips curled back in a spiteful smirk revealing obscene fangs upon fangs. Foul breath reached the youth's nose and he fought the urge to wretch.

Enormous claw-hands grasped Roxas' shoulders and forced themselves past his doublet and shert and into his flesh and dug until the boy had run out of strength and air to scream and succumbed to agony. The only sound now was the boy's ragged breathing and the snarls coming from the monster upon him, and then of his kin—more yellow eyes that approached from each and every side that Roxas' eyes darted to.

The pain was blinding. Indescribable. Unimaginable. It knocked the remaining air from the boy's lungs and left him teetering on the edge of madness. The creature appeared to cackle in its way at the youth's tears. It extended another set of fangs, longer and more massive than the rest from its snout-like face, widened its jaws, and growled.

Roxas squeezed his eyes shut, but the parting pain he expected never came.

The pain in his shoulders escalated as the claws pinning him to the forest floor were removed suddenly and none-too-carefully, then began to ebb into an empty throb.

There was a dull crack that reverberated through the ground, the undercurrent to the hideous howl and the snapping of jagged jaws.

His shoulders hurt terribly, but Roxas recognized that he was no longer pinned in the dirt. He opened his eyes and prepared to steel himself for a desperate attempt to escape the forest once more, but what he saw first stopped him.

Axel faced away from him. Trapped between the vampire and a great looming tree was the beast, it's oversized claws dripping with blood and traces of flesh from, what Roxas realized with abject horror, were his shoulders. But more frightening was the similar claw that held its neck, belonging to no other than Axel himself.

Roxas' heart pounded in his temples as he took in the sight of the silk-clad vampire king, his hands deformed into sharp, elongated claws as they pressed the dark animal into the cradle created by the tree—the broken tree. Shards of wood jutted out of the howling creature as it struggled pathetically against the vampire's grip. Axel must have slammed it into the tree. _That must have been the crack I heard…_

With a nauseating breaking, Axel removed his claws from the slouched, quieting monster and let it fall limply to the gnarled roots. It didn't move anymore.

Axel turned his head in Roxas' direction then. Roxas was petrified as he took in his master's frightening appearance—talon-like claws, snarling mouth showing an obscene number of sharp teeth in addition to his customary fangs, bright and ice cold eyes full of rage. But those eyes didn't look at the boy, but past him instead.

Then suddenly, in a blur of red mane, Axel launched himself past Roxas and slammed into another snarling beast midair. It didn't stand a chance. Axel stood over it in a crouch as it released a howl not unlike its companion; Axel had the remains of its eyes in his claws, which he brandished momentarily before plunging them back into the throat of the beast.

More dark beasts came, intent on attacking the vampire in pairs and trios. All met similar fates as Axel danced them into the waiting arms of gruesome death, graceful and elegant and terrifying and too fast for Roxas to follow clearly. Soon there was silence.

Roxas didn't know what to expect as Axel finally turned to face him. Instinctually he tried to scramble backwards, but the pain in his shoulders quelled his attempts almost immediately and he fell onto his back onto the dirt and foliage.

Axel advanced on the petrified boy slowly, all teeth and eyes and claws. This time Roxas couldn't even blink; this was not a forest-dwelling antagonist. This was Axel, the vampire, the aristocrat, the regal creature with soft hands and kind eyes that Roxas had begun to warm up to. But here he was so like the snarling things that so cruelly tried to tear him apart.

_So foolish_, thought the boy bitterly.

The dark, clawed hand of Axel reached towards him as its owner crouched on his haunches barely a breath away. Roxas thought that Axel would kill him now, too, expected to be the next thing those claws punctured. But instead of talons, soft fingers traced his jaw and moved a strand of soiled hair out of the boy's eyes.

Axel's own eyes had lost their deadly sheen and became familiar once more. The claws had melted away. The fangs retreated and left only a small, sad smile in their wake.

P.S. Love it? Hate it? Found a typo? Let me know! I'm already working on chapter 7, so be patient, everyone!


	7. Can you keep a Secret?

AN: Two chapters in one week? Gotta love Thursdays! Also, I've just realized I haven't been putting the chapter names into the title bars…

Disclaimer: Do not own! But totally do want to!

_Axel advanced on the petrified boy slowly, all teeth and eyes and claws. This time Roxas couldn't even blink; this was not a forest-dwelling antagonist. This was Axel, the vampire, the aristocrat, the regal creature with soft hands and kind eyes that Roxas had begun to warm up to. But here he was so like the snarling things that so cruelly tried to tear him apart. _

_So foolish, thought the boy bitterly. _

_The dark, clawed hand of Axel reached towards him as its owner crouched on his haunches barely a breath away. Roxas thought that Axel would kill him now, too, expected to be the next thing those claws punctured. But instead of talons, soft fingers traced his jaw and moved a strand of soiled hair out of the boy's eyes. _

_Axel's own eyes had lost their deadly sheen and became familiar once more. The claws had melted away. The fangs retreated and left only a small, sad smile in their wake._

Roxas was only dimly aware of cold hands on his body. His damaged shoulders had gone numb and he was no longer feeling the blood pouring from the wounds.

Axel observed the boy gravely. He hadn't been up and about for even a full day and already he had nearly been killed by the forest ghouls. Already Axel felt like he'd failed the child.

At the same time, the vampire was furious. Roxas may not have known the grounds, but he certainly wasn't stupid; his natural apprehension wouldn't have allowed him to wander into a foreboding thicket, despite what Riku's boy had said.

When Axel had awoken just before sundown, he knew something was gravely amiss. He had taken Roxas's virgin blood; he had been feeling his emotions as he dreamt through the daylight hours, could feel the boy's confusion gradually turn into happiness, then into anxiety and finally, into blinding fear.

He hadn't bothered to out on proper clothing and rushed from his chambers and the plush pillows of his resting place in his dressing gown, terrifying the human servants and lesser vampires who attended him every dusk. The red haired king let his preternatural speed carry him to the source of his charge's terror. At the edge of the forest he stopped, for the he saw Sora, pacing and sobbing.

"What has happened?" he questioned the distraught youth. "Where is Roxas?"

Upon recognizing the great vampire, and his great rage, the brunette boy fell to his knees and dropped his head but remained mute.

"Speak, Sora!"

Gone was the normally light and flirtatious voice of the monarch the boy had grown accustomed to in his many years of residing in the vampire's presence. The command was snapped so sternly that Sora was too afraid to disobey.

"H-He went int-to the f-f-forest, Majesty! H-Hours ag-o! I'm so s-s-s-"

Axel hadn't stayed to hear the rest of the stuttered explanation. One way or another, Roxas had gone into the forest and had not come out. Though the great vampire's rage did not abate, it was joined by another emotion, one largely unfamiliar and unpleasant to him: fear.

Would he make it to Roxas in time?

Axel ran deeper and deeper into the forest as Roxas terror magnified. He reached the fallen boy just in time to witness the ghouls beginning to feast on him.

There had been no time for thinking. Axel acted purely on impulse, dispatching the monsters that threatened his charge. He had freed his fangs and grew his hands into claws. His eyes glowed with bloodlust.

It had ended in seconds, with several black corpses littering the ground, serving as a warning for the rest of beasts waiting in the shadows for their turn. They had turned tail at the carnage. Axel allowed himself to turn his attention to Roxas now.

The boy was slumped against a broken tree trunk, filthy with soil and debris. But more impertinent were the wounds that marred his shoulders. His clothing, once resplendent, hung in tatters there, along with stripped flesh pouring out blood at an alarming rate. Axel thought he could even see the white of bone peeking out through the damage.

First thing was to get the small boy out of the forest to deal properly with his wounds. But Axel saw Roxas' eyes; he was beyond fear, and Axel knew part of it at least came from his appearance. He could only imagine the frightening sight he made to the boy, with his bloody fangs and claws, his flimsy clothing all but completely obscured by the flesh and blood of ghouls.

Axel hastily retracted his body into a familiar form.

What was done was done, however. Roxas had seen. Axel hadn't planned to hide it from Roxas forever, but he had wanted Roxas to be adjusted when the moment came. This situation was anything but opportune, but Axel decided to deal with the repercussions as they would come. He could prioritize.

He locked eyes with Roxas and the boy began to soften to his will. His shallow, labored breathing evened out and his eyelids began to droop, suddenly heavy. Axel saw no other way to deal with the situation; the trance would have to do.

Quickly and efficiently, Axel stripped the blonde's upper body. With the blood-soaked cloth removed, the wounds didn't appear nearly as bad, though they were nothing to be happy about. The blood wasn't running as freely now and Axel was tempted to lick it clean right there. With immediate danger no longer an issue, the hunger hit Axel full force and it was like he hadn't fed in years. Roxas' blood sang to him.

Looking at the wounds, the temptation was almost unbearable. Axel removed his dressing gown-what was left of it-and wrapped the boy in the tolerably clean part inside. Drowsy from blood-loss and the vampire's trance, Roxas didn't struggle and went boneless.

Axel lifted Roxas into his arms, as was becoming habit, and began the long trek to the castle at human speed, lest Roxas be jarred and further injured.

"Ah, Roxas…what shall I do with you, hm?" the vampire mused.

They emerged from the forest a short time later, looking a little worse for wear. Riku had arrived and restrained the bawling Sora. A small entourage stood a short distance behind them, vampires and human servants, waiting anxiously for orders.

Axel gave none. Sora's blubbering was met with a cold glare and Riku took the silent cue to take the boy away. The silver haired vampire was none too pleased.

The vampire king brushed past the others without sparing a glance. Roxas needed tending to. Axel made quickly towards the boy's present quarters.

x.X.x

It was a common misconception on the part of humans that vampires were immune to all but permanent death. No, vampires could not catch diseases, but they could become sick. Any number of poisons were created to target vampire healing and preternatural abilities. Vampires could also be injured. Under normal circumstances, healing was fast, almost instantaneous even, but human weapons could be coated with poisons or cast with charms to make healing impossibly slow and absurdly painful. Such weapons were becoming more and more common in war fought between the two sides.

So naturally, Axel, king of vampires, kept a doctor around-a specialist among vampires, one of his council of twelve.

Vexen was not the most pleasant of vampires, or the most patient, and he had seldom had use for treating humans—or anyone as of late, for that matter, preferring to spend his time in the catacombs of the castle, in the alchemy labs—, but when his liege sent for his services with an overly eager messenger just as the last tendrils of daylight were fading from the horizon, he did not dare refuse.

The lanky, blonde vampire was not told the precise purpose for which he was summoned so early in the evening, but there was the distinctly sweet and tangy smell of human blood floating through the castle halls, causing a bit of an uproar among the vampiric residents. Ah, the king's succulent new pet, then.

In addition to the usual supplies, Vexen grabbed a bottle of antiseptic. Humans were such _fragile_ things.

x.X.x

Vexen was quick to assess the situation upon arrival in guest wing. The damage to the king's toy was extensive, but not irreversible. However, the choices were limited if his Majesty wished for the boy to remain human, small as he was. Good thing he brought the antiseptic.

Axel made a difficult decision. Roxas' wounds were too extensive to be let alone, but he had lost too much blood to survive drinking from Axel without turning. Now was not the time, for Roxas was much too young. He would have to be patched up the old fashioned way. And Axel knew exactly who to have assisting...

He allowed Vexen to set up the supplies—including a large curved needle, as would normally be used for leather—and sent the snippy vampire out of the room. He then called for Riku and his charge.

Riku arrived dragging Sora by the wrist. The brunette boy was still wearing the clothing Axel had seen on him at the forest edge, all twisted and rumpled. His hair was wilder than ever and contained remnants of twigs and leaves. His knees and shoulders quivered as he tried to disappear behind his master, a pitiful sight.

Riku was having none of it; he thrust the boy forward unapologetically.

Axel motioned him to come toward the edge of the bed upon which Roxas lied. He did so quite reluctantly, refusing to lift his eyes from the floor until Axel grabbed his chin roughly.

"Know why you're here, boy?"

Sora shook his head frantically. This cold and sardonic Axel terrified him; the king never called him "boy" unless he was absolutely enraged.

"Did you get a chance to see his shoulders?" Axel barked. "No? Well, take a look!"

Sora hadn't seen but the top of Roxas head when his Majesty had appears carrying him from the trees. But now the king whipped away the cloak to reveal a gruesome sight. Roxas' upper body was obscured with blood but Sora could easily make out the holes that were missing flesh and flaps of ratted skin. A collar bone glistened nauseatingly in the flickering candlelight.

It was all Sora could do to not vomit on the spot, from fear and disgust and, perhaps worst of all, guilt. He had led Roxas into the forest and lost him there for those creatures to find. He sobbed helplessly for the fate of his new friend.

Axel was unmoved.

"I will stitch up this mess; you will hold Roxas down still."

Sora's eyes went wide as dinner plates and his stomach fell to the floor.

"Ah, and you had best do a good job; if you fail, he will bleed out. Twice in one day's a bit much, hm?" The king added offhandedly.

Riku watched from the other side of the room silently. For once, he was glad for the cloth over his eyes. He knew his king would stitch the blonde child and heal him, and his own boy was getting suitable punishment—one not meant to be enjoyed—for his irresponsibility. It was cruel, but Sora would learn. This was not a matter to be taught in a bedroom…not in _that_ sense… He loved his boy dearly, and was a little relieved that for once, he did not need to dole out the discipline.

Riku used his mind's eye to observe his crying child hold the other by the arms as Axel plunged the leather needle into flesh over and over as the blonde and bloodied boy screamed in agony. But the wounds began to close and the blood flow, which had started anew during the ministrations, began to ebb once more.

As his body numbed itself, Roxas began to drift in and out of consciousness and soon his wounds were shut. Axel made the final stitch as Sora released the blonde's arms as if burned; the king let him fall of the edge of the bed and scramble towards his seemingly impassive master at the wall.

An almost imperceptible incline of his Majesty's head allowed them leave. Riku took Sora away, leaving the king alone with his charge.

Axel's thoughts were only on Roxas, now. With a gentleness one would not expect from a giant white blood drinker, the king toweled off the excess blood as best he could and bandaged the freshly stitched youth. Roxas eyes remained closed for the duration and Axel was thankful for it; the boy didn't need to see his hands dripping blood or the sheets nearly black with gore.

Roxas was stable for now, and Axel dared to give him some blood to start his healing. After biting a long finger, he slid it into the boy's mouth, past his lips and teeth and over his tongue. With his other hand he rubbed lightly at the boy's throat to encourage him to swallow the blood.

A blue eye cracked open and wandered unfocused until it landed on a half lidded green one. Axel smiled kindly, relieved that Roxas wasn't hurt so badly that he couldn't wake up.

Roxas sucked on the offered finger. Axel's breath hitched a moment but the boy paid little mind. The room started to still in his eyes once more and the fog in his mind was slowly lifting. The bandages felt heavy and he couldn't more much above his waist, but was relieved that the horrible pain he had felt prior had let up. He remembered coming back to the castle only in snippets, remembered Sora crying, the great black beasts, and…Axel. Green eyes that were unique to the white giant. Hair like fire. And…claws. Claws and more fangs than Roxas remembered the vampire having.

Was that…creature…was that Axel's true form?

It was terrifying, certainly, but here was Axel now, himself again. And he hadn't hurt Roxas, even with his blood running free, his body defenseless. Instead, he was feeding him his blood again. Roxas released to the proffered hand.

"That was you...in the forest. You saved me," whispered Roxas with surprising clarity.

Axel blinked in surprise but regained his composure and answered the child.

"Sure did, Roxy," he said, complete with a flirtatious wink.

Roxas didn't miss a beat.

"How?"

_How did you find me?_

"Why?"

_Why did you stop them?_

_Why didn't you eat me?_

_Why do you care?_

The king closed his eyes and sighed heavily. He had no need for breathing, but the situation was taking its toll and the vampire found himself struck hard by it. He opened his eyes and stared deeply, strongly, into Roxas' own blues.

"You are mine, Roxas. Commit it to memory. What happened tonight...it won't happen again, accident or not. I didn't bring you here to eat you, and certainly not for anyone else to. You are off limits to all but me. I was careless tonight; please forgive me."

Roxas was entranced by the words, not by a trance-Axel left his mind to himself-but by the subtle passion and sincerity. He nodded without being aware of it.

Axel smiled, breaking the tension. There was more to say. Much more. But both were tired and now was a poor time to be discussing matters of such gravity. Roxas needed rest and Axel had thinking to do. "Let's clean up a bit, shall we?"

Though most of the blood had been cleaned from his skin, Roxas' appearance still spoke volumes about his ordeal. The once lovely blue tights and silk slippers were ruined beyond recognition, much less repair; Axel tore them free and cast them aside as the boy drifted once more. Roxas needed a visit to the tailor, he was reminded.

Roxas needed many things, Axel realized. He would need to find out the boy's favorite things to eat, get him settled with tutors, teach him the sword and magic. The vampire doubted the boy had ever been on a horse. Axel didn't think the child even knew the basics of reading.

Yes, there was a great deal to teach the little blonde boy, and Axel looked forward to the challenge. Centuries had passed since he last had a human...

But all of that was for later. Now, Axel lifted the dozing youth into his arms and cradled him, relishing the warmth only a mortal could provide. Not any mortal; his.

With silent footsteps, Axel slipped down the halls like a shadow to a wing of the castle he knew Roxas hadn't seen yet. His own private wing.

The royal bedchamber was a haven all its own, separated from the world by two enormous ebony doors that only vampire strength could open. The centerpiece was the canopied bed, one of the only furnishings in the room. There were no windows; instead, the walls were decorated with richly embroidered tapestries if varying ages. Tall candelabras held candles that flickered to life when Axel entered.

The vampire deposited the sleeping boy onto the pillows with great care. Roxas hardly stirred but visibly relaxed into the soft surface. The room was warm and Axel saw no reason to dress the boy, who looked quite comfortable despite the heavy linen wrappings obscuring his chest and shoulders. The king removed his own destroyed garment and stepped aside to the adjacent washroom. He brushed his fiery hair, loosening out the dirt from the night's activities, and ran a washcloth over his body. Satisfied enough with his cleanliness, the vampire donned a pair of worn braies and left the washroom.

With preternatural grace, Axel slipped into the huge bed next to Roxas. Dawn was still a couple of hours away, but the night had been exhausting in every way. He wouldn't mind the extra sleep.

And then, just as he began to drift off into darkness for the day, he felt a distinct pressure at his side. Roxas was snuggling into him.

For the first time in centuries, Axel slept smiling.

AN2: This chapter turned out shorter than I wanted, but it seemed like a good place to stop where I did. I love hearing from my readers! ^_^


	8. Midsummer Night

AN: A few people have asked now if this is based on "Beauty and the Beast." My answer is, no, it isn't based on it or anything else really specifically. It's meant to have a fairytale type feel to it, from a darker view, I guess (Grimm-esque) but it's not based on any specific tale. I love to read and I've done a whole lot of reading, so familiar things might slip in subconsciously. I get a lot of inspiration from my adventures as a Gothic Lolita, too.

Ewonsama: To answer your question, Axel's blood does change Roxas a bit, it will become apparent and more important later, but as of now, nothing major is going to change, i.e. Roxas isn't going to have super strength comparable to a human adult or anything like that.

Warning! Just a heads up: there's a bit of smut in this chapter!

Disclaimer: Still don't own. Belongs to Squeenix. Blah Blah.

_With preternatural grace, Axel slipped into the huge bed next to Roxas. Dawn was still a couple of hours away, but the night had been exhausting in every way. He wouldn't mind the extra sleep._

_And then, just as he began to drift off into darkness for the day, he felt a distinct pressure at his side. Roxas was snuggling into him. _

_For the first time in centuries, Axel slept smiling. _

Roxas woke up with a start. There was darkness all around him and he felt smothered, suffocated. His arms were constricted and his chest ached, and a cold, heavy bar was pressing him into a soft, squishy surface. He squirmed and fought against his bonds in the darkness. Tears began to form in his eyes with his fruitless efforts.

Suddenly there was light; a candelabra roared to life. Roxas was met with a single green eye beside him.

Vampire. Axel.

Unable to recall where he was or how he came to be there, Roxas continued to struggle. The iron bar thrown over his chest became heavier.

"Easy, easy, Roxy…you're alright…" Axel soothed the distraught boy, his voice husky and raw with sleep. He had felt the boy startle in his blood and woke.

Roxas began to calm and the weight—the arm—was lifted. Axel peeled back the blankets that had become entangled around the boy's limbs and Roxas relaxed into the freedom of movement he had been afforded, as much as his bandages allowed.

"See?" the king pushed himself into a sitting position. "Perfectly safe."

Roxas looked around the shadowy chamber, scrunching his nose in an effort to remember the place. It was familiar, like a memory he couldn't quite reach.

"Where…?"

"My private rooms. You're in _my_ bed, Roxy," drawled the vampire with a lascivious wink.

"O-Oh…"

Axel chuckled softly to himself. The king's wandering eyes alerted Roxas to his own nudity and he made to cover himself by crossing his legs and curling inwards. The little blonde teen's ears were tipped the most wonderful shade of pink when he was embarrassed. Axel wondered about other things he could do to bring out that blush, perhaps in this very bed…

The red haired vampire shook himself out of his fantasies. Dusk was still a few hours away and he wanted to spend that time in much needed slumber. But first he had to see to his charge.

Roxas was looking sleepy himself, too tired to complain about being uncomfortable. His bandages had become partially unwrapped in sleep and strips had come to hang loose around him like ribbons. They had become partially soaked with blood during some point in the night or day, but the bedding underneath where the boy laid was mostly clean to Axel's relief; he wasn't bleeding as badly as such an injury may have warranted. It was good news to wake up to, very good.

Axel moved to get out of the bed, only to be stopped by a petite hand upon his own.

Roxas didn't know why he reached out to the vampire, and by his expression, said vampire was just as baffled. More surprisingly, perhaps, was that the blonde didn't immediately pull his had away.

Axel smiled beatifically at the child and crossed the short distance to the washroom where he fetched a spare roll of linen wrappings. He showed them to Roxas in a gesture of good faith as he returned.

The boy seemed to notice his own bandaged chest for the first time. Memories came rushing back from the previous night—the forest and its monsters—and he visibly cringed.

For the first time, Axel didn't know what to say. What happened had been a grave accident and it was only luck that Roxas hadn't been killed. Guilt was a foreign feeling for Axel to have, one he had become strangers with over the long years as the vampire monarch. It was difficult to shake once it took root.

But on the other hand, Roxas now had seen creatures to fear more than Axel. The vampire had saved him from terrifying forest ghouls. He didn't particularly like to pay for Roxas' trust with the boy's own blood, but he couldn't help but feel satisfied that _he_ had become Roxas' rescuer. The blonde had curled at his side as they slept; it was progress.

The vampire pulled the reclining child into an upright position and propped his back with the overstuffed pillows. He removed the soiled linens with a little difficulty; dried blood had glued the fiber to the tender skin and Axel didn't want to cause the boy anymore pain. Despite the blood caked to the stitches, the vampire was quite pleased with his work; the swelling was minimal and already the flesh was showing signs of repair, thanks to the precious elixir he fed Roxas from his own veins.

A tolerable silence ensued as Axel worked to redress Roxas' chest. It wasn't quite companionable, but neither was it completely awkward.

When he finished, the vampire laid him down again. Naughty thoughts assaulted his mind once more.

He was finally getting somewhere with the boy, did he dare do anything that could destroy all that?

The temptation was just too strong. Roxas was too sweet, lying among the cushions with hooded eyes, a delicate flush painting his skin, radiating warmth. Axel let his lips kiss the boy's uncovered belly. He let his eyes fall closed as he began heading upwards, kissing and nipping a tingly trail that made Roxas shiver in nervous anticipation…and delight.

Axel stopped when his mouth reached cloth. He had told Roxas that he would stay out of the youth's mind, but decided at that moment that he would violate that trust and gauge the situation from the other side.

…_feels good…What should I?...I don't…more?...yes…_

That was fine enough for the green eyed blood drinker; he had waited enough as it was. It was just as well they were in the bed.

Roxas' fingers searched for purchase as a cool, white hand pulled down the blankets, exposing his most private of places to the air. Long fingers wrapped around hot, straining flesh and Roxas felt a current shoot up his spine. A sharp nail teased the tiny opening at the tip and Roxas cried out despite himself.

A wet suction at his throat had the blonde youth throwing his head back. Axel was using his blunt teeth on Roxas' neck and ears, licking at the places he pinched.

Roxas began to feel a now vaguely familiar pressure in his belly. He indulged a brief apprehension at the treatment, but pushed it aside in favor of simply _feeling_.

As Roxas relaxed into the intimate touches, Axel decided to raise the stakes. He stopped his ministrations and released the teen.

"Roxas…" the vampire purred, " do you want more?"

"Um…"

"Say it, Roxy. Tell me…"

"I-I—_yes_…"

The king smiled wickedly, all teeth and chiseled cheekbones. Roxas swallowed heavily as emerald eyes narrowed, wondering what it was he had agreed to.

The vampire disappeared for a fraction of a moment, so quickly that Roxas wasn't sure it had actually happened. And then he noticed the red head's hand, now covered in fragrant oil.

The vampire approached the boy like the predator he was. Even his fangs began to extend in desire. He couldn't drink from the blonde—the boy needed his blood to heal—but he could certainly satiate his hunger another way.

Axel bent the youth's legs at the knees, propping and separating them. Coltish legs twitched and shivered. Toes curled, tensing and relaxing like in spasm.

The vampire ran his hand between his legs, over the stiffened prick and its nest of downy gold curls, and lower, lower, lower, until he reached the tiny hidden opening. Roxas jumped at the foreign feeling; no one had ever touched him _there_.

An oiled finger slipped inside a ways and Roxas convulsed. A cool, dry hand on his belly steadied him. It wasn't quite painful, but it was tight, so very, very tight, and alien. The relative cold of it had him gasping. The bizarre feeling burst in all directions, up his spine and down his arms and legs, and he felt it as far as the tips of his fingernails. His hole pulsed around the appendage, uncertain whether to force it out or invite it deeper in. His breathing quickened and grew shallow.

After a pause, the finger probed deeper, wriggling up the blonde's passage. The boy writhed against it…onto it…helpless at the vampire's conquest. It felt so very good. The vampire twisted it this way and that, as if searching for something, and then he found it, the heart of lightning for the raw current it emitted into the youth's every tissue, and Roxas was left breathless.

His mouth was open in a silent scream, and Axel pushed the heel of his free hand into his abdomen and the feeling somehow intensified. Stars exploded in his eyelids and he saw the birth of the cosmos again. It went on forever and then was over, and suddenly everything went dark.

Axel watched his blonde charge recover from his pleasure, reclining as in sleep in the dark waves of fabric. His cheeks were pink and full, and with his bandages he looked like an angel cast from the heavens, his curls disheveled from his fall and his body battered bloody from where his wings were plucked.

The vampire wanted to take the boy right there, right at that very moment. He wanted so badly to bury his own need in the lithe little body before him, to thrust into the impossibly tight heat and drink the sweet blood until the two were one. Roxas would beg for it to never end, and Axel would oblige him.

But he would wait. He had come too far to throw it all away on a whim. Patience had never been his strong suit, but…it was enough for now.

The vampire extracted himself from the cherubic youth in favor of a cloth to clean up. He licked a strip of the pearly fluid from Roxas stomach. The rest, and what had covered his own hands, was wiped away. Casting the cloth away, he settled himself next to his human.

Roxas woke briefly from his stupor to see that Axel had fallen asleep. He knew that the vampire had to sleep sometime, but seeing it was somehow…surprising. The great white blood drinker looked smaller in repose. His hair was wilder, spread over the pillows, but his face was relaxed, the picture of serenity. There was no smirk, no mischievous expression. His facial tattoos looked all the more like tears. Despite what Roxas knew, that there were fangs and even claws ready for defense should the vampire be threatened, Axel still looked harmless.

How strange life had become, Roxas mused. But every minute, the reality seemed to sink deeper in; this was his existence now, within this castle, by this vampire's side and whim, for better or worse. He would never return to his village; he had seen with his own eyes that no amount of running would take him back, even if he knew the way. He would never see his stoic brother again, nor his terrible father.

Could he really be alright here? Among vampires? Sora seemed happy enough…when he wasn't in some sort of trouble. But there had been rules at his old home, why would that be any different here? He could follow rule; he could stay out of trouble. Axel had promised to take care of him. Aside from the accident the previous night, he had been keeping his word: Roxas was clothed and fed, very well, too, and wasn't forced into anything that harmed him. Frightened, certainly, but not truly harmed.

Roxas looked up at the canopy and began to drift. The world fell away and he thought he saw the stars.

x.X.x

As the rosy tendrils of day faded into the arms of twilight, the towering castle awakened. Candles ignited and chandeliers sparkled to life, casting a warm glow throughout the many rooms. Vampires began emerging from their many rooms, all white and gleaming. Human servants followed close behind, some with armfuls of colorful cloth—outfits for the evening—others with glasses of deep red sustenance. The vampires greeted one another, gentlemen walking arm in arm, ladies chatting and giggling animatedly as human companions coiffed their hair and straightened their petticoats.

Axel woke to see Roxas still sleeping, understandable considering their early evening activities. The vampire smiled and kissed the sleeping boy's forehead chastely. Then he reached outside of the bed curtains and pulled on a heavy cord. A bell chimed somewhere within the castle, and soon the doors were thrown open as a gaggle of servants rushed inside.

Roxas opened his eyes a crack at the commotion. A strange sight greeted him. On the other side of the room, the set of double doors was open, flooding the room with light, and servants, male and female, were lining up in a formation to the sides of either door. Some were taken aback to see Roxas there in bed with the king, but no one broke stride.

They bowed low and greeted,

"Good evening, Master. Good evening, Young Lord. We are here to serve you."

Behind them crowded in splendidly dressed vampires, all ball gowns and jewels. There were dresses of all colors in a myriad of fabrics. The feel was lighter that that at the party a few nights back; many ladies wore organzas and pastels and light laced things, and many of the gentlemen were dressed to match. They smiled and bustled about in excitement, calling greetings apart and in unison:

"Good evening, Your Majesty!"

"Pleasant night, Majesty!"

"Majesty, you are radiant this dusk!"

"What a pleasure to see the young lord at your side, Majesty!"

The king allowed his subjects to fawn over him for a little while longer, giving Roxas time to rub the sleep from his eyes. Then he raised his hand and with a gesture, the servants scattered around the room, gathering clothing and brushes and various things to tend their master.

Amid the hustle, Roxas was escorted from the bed. No less than four attendants saw to him at once, brushing his hair, washing his face, scrubbing his fingernails. It was all so busy that Roxas didn't have time to worry about being naked in front of upwards of forty people. The servants were mindful of Roxas' bandaged upper body and he was quickly but carefully dressed (most likely Sora's clothing again).

On the other side of the room, Axel was receiving similar treatment. His hair was combed into its usual mane and soon he was dressed in his fine robes—greens and purples this time—with gallant help from the many vampiric subjects.

Roxas observed the crowd quietly. There seemed to be issues of rank, even in deciding who could pass the linens to dress the king. Slippers were passed overhead like relics before they reached the royal feet; slept in clothing was nearly fought over. Life in the vampires' world was lavish but confusing.

When the ritual was finished, the servants receded to the walls and the onlookers cleared a path for his Majesty and his young human. Axel lead the way out through the double doors with Roxas by his side; the entourage followed close behind.

The king navigated expertly through his castle's halls and once more they came to what Roxas remembered as the audience chamber. The grand doors opened to reveal even more expectant subjects on either side of the throne and dais. Axel continued with his head high down the central aisle and towards the ornate chair at the end. The only thing different this time was the smaller cushioned chair, gilded and delicate, next to the throne.

Roxas almost didn't believe when Axel motioned for him to sit there. The procession behind them joined the rest of the assembly as their king was seated, and the little blonde human wondered what was in store for him as the audience bowed before him and his vampire master as one.

AN: w00t! Three chapters in a single week! I'm on a role. I don't think I need to mention how much I like reading your reviews ^_~.


	9. His Infernal Majesty

AN: Educational pursuit is looming on the horizon, so I've been busy. This chapter is quite a bit shorter than what I normally post, but it was either this or waiting longer for a chapter three times as long. Chapter 10 is in the works and I ended 9 where it seemed appropriate.

Q&A time:

bookworm4ever81: You caught me!...sorta. The "universe" is a fairytale one, so I can't rightly say that it's Renaissance or Victorian or anything else of that sort really. It's more like, it takes elements from each time period and draws on those together, rather than sticking to one. And really, how do you choose just one?

RukiRomance: I'm really happy you're into the story! I'm working hard to make it as involving and gripping as I possibly can! Stay tuned!

mellow-panda7: That's really awesome that my story helped you out. That really means a lot. Yay!

Twilighttimefan: Of course I'm continuing! I get as much good out of writing it as all of you get from reading it!

To everyone else who read and who reviewed: Thanks a bunch! Your reviews really help me work! You guys are rockin'!

Disclaimer: You know the drill. If you know it, I don't own it!

_The king navigated expertly through his castle's halls and once more they came to what Roxas remembered as the audience chamber. The grand doors opened to reveal even more expectant subjects on either side of the throne and dais. Axel continued with his head high down the central aisle and towards the ornate chair at the end. The only thing different this time was the smaller cushioned chair, gilded and delicate, next to the throne. _

_Roxas almost didn't believe when Axel motioned for him to sit there. The procession behind them joined the rest of the assembly as their king was seated, and the little blonde human wondered what was in store for him as the audience bowed before him and his vampire master as one. _

Roxas had grown somewhat accustomed to Axel—to the arrogant, haughty, smirking, lusting….vampire. This new side of him—this side with servants and subjects and royalty—he had but glimpsed, and forgotten quickly. So it was quite strange for the boy to sit next to him now, in the presence of the vampire as a monarch; the authority over all of the primped and powdered people in the audience chamber.

But Axel was, after all, a king, and over a vast kingdom he presided. As such, it was only natural and obvious that he would have royal responsibilities to his subjects—and not all of them bore fangs.

One by one, problems were brought before the king of vampires to be addressed. The petitioner would come towards the dais, stop at a respectful position, and prostrate himself before the crown. Only then would he or she present their issue.

Some were minor, disputes between parties over lands and boundaries, complaints against one law or another, even appeals over taxes. Roxas would have found it absurd, vampires dealing with what were one common issues in his human world, were it all not so earnest. And Axel listened to each one carefully, considered, and gave a verdict. The petitioner would bow in gratitude, thank his Majesty, and was free to leave. Small matters we're cleared up in minutes.

Other petitioners came with more difficult queries. Two nobles came bickering over a human companion belonging to one but changed vampire by the other in an illicit affair; did the girl belong to her Sire or the vampire who had kept her as a human consort? Much discussion was held in the court, and eventually Axel ruled to send the newly transformed girl to her Sire, who would compensate the vampire he took her from. Both the girl and her Sire would be punished for their affair, the girl in particular because she had disgraced her vampire consort's blood.

Roxas cringed as he watched the small, sandy haired girl have her fangs removed by the lanky vampire with long, blonde hair from Axel's council. He nearly cried with her as the blonde enchanted the wounds for the teeth to not grow back until the next full moon.

More subjects came to present cases ranging from theft and fraud, to violence within vampire families and even one murder. Often, humans were involved, and once a faerie, which fascinated Roxas despite the grim circumstances of her mention.

Hours passed in this way and Roxas stopped paying attention mostly. Once the novelty wore off, the court affairs seemed quite boring. And then one petitioner came before the dais to see not the king, but Roxas.

Sora stood forlornly before the vampire king and his human. With a deep bow, he asked to address Roxas.

"Majesty, may I petition the Young Lord Roxas?"

The boy was nothing if not sincere, his eyes on the floor and his posture submissive. Axel's interest was peaked, and with a wry smile beginning to form, he gestured affirmatively towards the blonde boy beside him.

"Lord Roxas," the brunette began timidly, "please forgive me my disgraceful actions yesterday...you gave me your trust and...I-I betrayed it in the forest..."

Axel was intrigued. For all that the child's words were rehearsed, he could not doubt the honesty of them. They rang throughout the otherwise silent court, and the king wondered where it would all lead.

"...if it had not been for his Majesty..." Sora appeared not to know how to continue, both for fear of saying too much and for the emotions that constricted his throat. Instead, he turned to Axel and said,

"Majesty! Thank you for your mercy!"

And to Roxas,

"Please say you forgive me! Roxas!"

With that, the boy rushed to his bandaged friend and latched onto his hand, kissing the little knuckles with abandon, not caring that his action breeched court etiquette.

Roxas, on his part, was so stunned that he remained rigid and silent for a moment while his mind caught up. Moved greatly by the normally cheerful boy's gesture, he responded in kind, straining forward against his bandages to plant a kiss among his friend's brunette spikes.

It was the acceptable response.

With his former vigor returned to him in the face of redemption, the brunette child scampered off the dais after bestowing a kiss to Roxas' cheek, and one to the king's knuckles. And with that, the red haired vampire stood, signaling the end of his receptions for the night. There could be no better note to end it on.

x.X.x

Roxas didn't know what to expect next. The vampires in the grand audience chamber bowed deeply to their king as the end of the session was made known. He was apprehensive towards this shift in activity.

On the other hand, the ordeal had become quite boring until the very end. How often did Axel have these audiences? Would Roxas be expected to sit in on each one as he had? It seemed like a bit of a waste to him.

And what now? The sheer number of vampires in the vicinity made him quite nervous. He looked upon them, their hair and faces groomed impeccably, sparking with jewels around their necks and on their wrists and sewn into the fabrics of their beautiful garments. Yes, they were beautiful in their unearthly splendor, but Roxas had seen the other night what they were capable of when threatened. Specifically, what the vampire Axel was capable of. Did they all carry invisible claws and move with inhuman speed like he? Were their elegant lips concealing jaws filled with innumerable fangs?

Roxas shuddered at the thought and shook himself. Better not to think of it; whether or not the resplendent ladies with their stately gentlemen were hiding more monstrous aesthetics beneath their frocks, he decided he didn't want to know.

Following the king's example, the blonde boy stood, too. Feigning nonchalance, though he was dubious, the boy made the mistake of reaching up and stretching muscles that had become stiff after hours of sitting.

An abrupt tearing sound and the stab of pain reminded him that he was still injured, and that he had reopened the wound.

All across the room, heads snapped up, ears perked, and nostrils flared like the muzzles of a thousand wild horses. But no one moved save for the king himself.

With a grand flourish, the red haired vampire removed his outer robe and draped it over the human's shoulders, covering the place where blood began soaking through his fine clothes.

Axel lifted carried him from the room to an ambience that only resounding silence could produce.

x.X.x

"You were very good this evening, Roxas. So very good."

Roxas blinked in response. As foreign as the feeling was, the blonde found himself liking the praise on his ears quite a bit.

Axel was proud of the petite human. He sat through the lengthy evening hearings with poise and patience. His actions with Sora were deserving of particular merit; Roxas' instincts—for no one had taught him how to act in a situation such as the one that had occurred—were brilliant. Sora's timing was lucky as well, illuminating the vampire sovereign in a favorable light, bringing to attention the willing respect the brunette boy had put forth…and reminding all present the consequences of harming the king's human, and the measures Axel was willing to take to protect him and punish the offenders.

Everyone present knew about the incident. Roxas' sweet blood was easy to smell at a pinprick; Axel could only imagine the commotion the alarming quantity must have caused. Some obviously saw the king return with the human unconscious in his arms. Rumors traveled fast and no one expected Vexen to stay quiet, either. The cantankerous old vampire had done his king a good service, it seemed.

Yes, Axel had been very pleased with how the evening had played out. Even the incident at the end, Roxas' moment of indiscretion, had been mild; the incident had been taken care of before it started simply by removing temptation.

After escaping the hungry stares of the vampire court, Axel had brought Roxas back to his cavernous bed chamber at supernatural speed. The servants seeing to the linens and various other tasks were ordered away promptly and the boy was deposited in the center of the bed. Minutes later Axel was stripping off his ruined green doublet and formerly snow white shirt to get at the source of blood.

Roxas was surprised when the deft fingers, gentle though they were, did not cause the pain the boy expected. Not as the wound was cleand, not as it was stitched anew. In fact, besides the initial sharp stab when he had stretched his arms—pulling the skin at the stitches into snapping-there had been little pain; he really had forgotten for the most part that he was wounded, and nearly died of those wounds not one full day ago.

Axel didn't need to pry into the little mortal's mind to know who at he was furrowing his flaxen brow over. He knew the boy would wonder eventually.

"My blood," he said.

Roxas looked up at the pale face with confusion.

Axel began replacing the bandages. "You drank blood from me," the vampire continued. "My blood has made you stronger, makes you heal faster. Dulls pain."

Though the vampire was smiling, it didn't quite reach his eyes. Something was strange in the way he had said it; he hadn't gloated. His eyes were misty and distant, and his tone was despondent. Sad.

But as it came, it went away-seamlessly-and Axel's eyes were glittering again.

He reached for Roxas, tying off the gauzy fabric. Lust sparkled in the emerald eyes. Roxas quickly forgot the strange behavior of his vampire and began to feel the tingling pricks of desire.

Gentle caresses on his arms and chest and belly soon had the blonde twitching impatiently, so much that even the vampire was surprised. Sweat began to form on the boy's soft, peach skin like dew drops. His milky throat flushed and the sweet pink nipples hardened into candy peaks.

Blue, blue lidded eyes met smoldering emerald, narrowed in excitement and desire and sheer pleasure at the undoing their sensuous owner was causing his mortal.

The blonde boy's breaths came short and shallow, requiring effort and memory to happen. One never knew what to expect with this great white vampire, but instinct and a little experience suggested to the youth that it would likely be…pleasant.

Axel reached for the waistband of the youth's bloodied leggings and...

"You need clothes...of your own, Roxy. Let's visit the tailor tonight. In town. You've earned a trip outside, yes?"

AN2: Gotcha! Ne? Ne?! Chapter 10 on the way!


	10. Unsaid

AN: I have no excuses. But I do have this chapter. And—watch out! It looks like…Plot up ahead!

Disclaimer: do not own. For non-profit entertainment only! Enjoy!

_He reached for Roxas, tying off the gauzy fabric. Lust sparkled in the emerald eyes. Roxas quickly forgot the strange behavior of his vampire and began to feel the tingling pricks of desire. _

_Gentle caresses on his arms and chest and belly soon had the blonde twitching impatiently, so much that even the vampire was surprised. Sweat began to form on the boy's soft, peach skin like dew drops. His milky throat flushed and the sweet pink nipples hardened into candy peaks. _

_Blue, blue lidded eyes met smoldering emerald, narrowed in excitement and desire and sheer pleasure at the undoing their sensuous owner was causing his mortal. _

_The blonde boy's breaths came short and shallow, requiring effort and memory to happen. One never knew what to expect with this great white vampire, but instinct and a little experience suggested to the youth that it would likely be…pleasant. _

_Axel reached for the waistband of the youth's bloodied leggings and..._

_"You need clothes...of your own, Roxy. Let's visit the tailor tonight. In town. You've earned a trip outside, yes?" _

Minutes later found Roxas and his master traveling at a medium pace south, in a carriage pulled by two great stallions, black as night. After the great vampire saw to new bandages, the boy had been dressed quickly and simply in a pair of sheepskin leggings, rawhide boots, and a loose inner tunic, and bundled in a lighter fur blanket to combat the growing night chill that would harm his still too thin body. The vampire King himself sat beside him on the plush bench, dressed for function rather than formality—similar leggings, boots, and tunic graced his frame. His red hair was wild about his mischievously set face, a bright mane of color in the inky night.

Their coach, flanked by two guards on horseback (which Roxas decided must be a formality of sorts, for Axel had said the town that was their destination was populated by humans under his rule and the vampire could take care of himself quite well, the boy knew), was bound for the bottom of the great hill upon which the vampire King's castle sat. The path wove through expanses of field and little tree thickets that rained their petite leaves in swirling rivets every time a breeze blew by. Roxas was watching the land go by through the ornately carved windows and wished he could see it all by the light of the sun, for surely it was even more beautiful then.

Behind them, the imposing castle loomed proudly. Roxas had never seen it from a distance and was now being treated to a full view of the great structure. It was much larger than he had imagined, taller and broader. There was no center to it; instead, various towers and spires made up the main body, some tall and thin and spindly, others more stout and solid looking. There were differently sized windows peppered all around, some in patterns and designs. Roxas wondered which one had been his in the red room, and then he wondered where the room he awoke in last, Axel's room, was, for he had seen no windows.

And then there was one tower on the left that seemed to draw his eyes, though it was small and thin and nondescript. The only thing that set it apart was its literal aloofness: he could see no passages connecting it to the main castle, no bridges or anything else. It simply sat there to...the west...

_The west wing the maid mentioned...Is that it?_

A bump in the road and the pressure of a cool hard arm shook Roxas from his thoughts. He looked up to meet the eyes of the vampire King. His green eyes seemed to glow in the dark as they held the boy's captive. Roxas was going to ask something...something...but he couldn't seem to remember it. The question died on his lips.

Roxas shook his head as another bump jarred him. The youth imagined that the castle was much lovelier in the day, like the land, a thought that surprised him. He remembered the stones being various colors from the ground on that fateful day he had gone out with Sora. Now, the castle looked somewhat ominous silhouetted against the moonlight, but in the day, with the many colored towers, it must look like a patchwork of sorts and surely pretty. In was certainly pretty inside, that much he knew.

Long, cool fingers found their way into the youth's hair where they rubbed his scalp into bliss. Roxas felt himself relaxing, leaning more heavily on his companion as the sensations lulled him into a light sleep. Colors and shapes began to creep into his mind, faint and indistinct at first. Then they began to take forms. They danced and twirled and the boy thought them to be the vampires from the ball. Then they changed and they were snowflakes, twirling through trees and wind and tall spires...flames danced among them, and flowers, too. Sparkling sunshine set the scene aglow, golden leaves, golden vines, golden...threads...?

And then flashes of orange plunged it all into darkness.

Roxas was jostled out of his reflections by the sound of the carriage wheels going over wood, a wooden bridge—a river.

_What...?_

Rushing water briefly sounded in the boy's ears. Before them the sleepy town was growing closer and larger. Bells sounded in the near distance. Axel wasn't looking at him. He appeared to be listening to something.

"They've spotted us," he said offhandedly.

Roxas heard it then, too—cries in the distance:

_"The king arrives! His Majesty is coming!"_

_"The King of Vampires is here!"_

They were pulling into town then, the guards riding ahead to lead and prepare the way. Lights were flickering on inside houses and shops and the sleepy town came to life as doors opened and mortals of all ages spilled out.

Roxas watched in wonder as children lined the road, smiling and waving, some still in their night clothing. Behind them, men and women, young and old, shouted and gestured bright greetings of their own.

"They...are not afraid of you?" asked Roxas incredulously, thinking back to his own town and of the reaction such a visit would have received there.

For a moment, the boy thought the vampire looked strange...almost sad. But the moment passed and Axel laughed heartily beside him.

"Not at all!" he boasted. "And why should they be? I give them land and protection in my kingdom, and the richest trading caravans make the town a priority as my castle is supplied by goods that come through here."

"These people...you protect them...?"

Again the vampire laughed. "Did you think my vampires were free to come through here and snatch children from their beds each night? There are more than vampires under my rule, Roxas. I take the care of my many subjects quite seriously."

_But then, where do your meals come from_, Roxas wondered, but didn't dare ask out loud. Shuddering, he thought that perhaps he did not wish to know.

"Very wise, my Curious One."

The boy bristled at that. How difficult it was to keep ones thoughts private with a mind reader present!

He had no time to object, however, as the coach came to a sudden stop and a guard was _rap-rap-rapping_ on the door a moment later. Axel donned his own cloak before moving to step out.

The door opened to a gathering of townspeople bowing reverently to their King. There were all sorts present, nobles and landowners at the fore with their servants and a mass of commoners and peasants behind them, many chatting amiably. Children played in cobblestone streets under freshly lit lights as though it were not the middle of the night. Shops looked warm and inviting and the brisk air and fair sky were pleasant for all.

The vampire monarch was greeted reverently with bows upon their stopping. He removed himself from the plush coach with feline grace and elegance, turning and reaching a hand to Roxas. The youth held the fur to him but reached a free, tentative hand towards the King. With inhuman speed, he was lifted and slung into the vampire's arms, fur and all. Axel cradled him possessively.

Whispers and low chatter arose among the human crowd. They had never seen the King take a mortal before, and it had not been for lack of offering, either. Inquisitive stares roamed the vampire's bundle.

A guard gestured with a bow to indicate a direction to his monarch. A lock of bluish hair peeked out from beneath his heavily ornamented helmet; Roxas thought he recognized him as one of the vampire elite from the party. A look was shared between the two vampires; the King nodded and the guards took the carriage away.

x.X.x

When Axel had announced that they would be going _to _the tailor, Roxas had been somewhat confused. He hadn't expected to be leaving the grandiose walls of the castle so soon. After the terrifying events that had transpired in the forest so recently, the boy imagined that he was confined to the castle now. Although, Axel had never really put him under house arrest, per se, Roxas was surprised that the vampire was already allowing him to travel beyond the great gates.

It was only after they had entered a modest looking house that Roxas understood.

Reds and yellows and blues, plush velvets, delicate silks, glittering trimmings. gossamer so sheer... Hundreds upon hundreds of fabric bolts were piled everywhere he looked, stacked floor to ceiling like a library of rainbows.

The tailor bid he pick out whatever he desired, and Axel nodded as well, giving him free reign. After some initial reluctance (such bolts were worth more than everything he had ever owned combined, more wealth than his tiny scope of existence could have ever dreamed up), Roxas revealed a refined taste hiding beneath his poor upbringing, pairing strong brocades with calming damasks, in colors both complimentary and analogous.

Axel sat back and observed. The boy had a keen eye for detail and subtlety. The vampire hadn't expected him to pick out garish hues or ostentatious designs, but the quiet refinement he saw surprised him a little. It was...pleasant, this unhurried mission. It was a bittersweet treat to see Roxas on the pedestal, measured and draped in fine cloths that flowed so naturally over the little form still swathed in bandages, a grim reminder of the boy's mortality, and yet, of his resilience as well; he had not died, and while perhaps he was not thriving, exactly, things were improving. Axel was pleased.

The actual process of being fitted for his new wardrobe was quite boring, as Roxas soon found out. He had to hold still indefinitely for the portly man wielding a numbered stick, and his torso ached somewhere beneath the gauzy material and all the measuring and counting and wrapping and matching was so tedious... Roxas was unsurprised that his eyelids dropped and he caught himself drifting several times. Not even the intense green stare of his master was working to keep him awake.

He was startled out of another near-nap by the bell, signifying the opening of the shop's door. Curious, Roxas turned his stare in the direction of the sound, only to be met with an equally curious azure gaze. It was a young girl—his age, perhaps?—with translucently pale skin over gangly limbs still forming, and long straight hair the color of wheat; all in all a ghostly scrap of she-child save her beautiful eyes that seemed all the brighter against the smudges of colors on her temples and cheek.

In her hands, she appeared to be holding a panel of wood in a cloth. It was pressed tightly to her chest, clad in a thin stained chemise and apron.

"Naminé!" the tailor coughed, resetting her attention.

She became flustered then, as though she had only then remembered why she had come there to begin with. She curtsied hastily towards the vampire lounging commandingly—"your Majesty"—then turned to Roxas in the center—"my Lord"—and back to the king, whose unreadable face she dared not meet.

"I have brought a gift," she said hushedly, yet steadily, with her head dropped, "in honor of the Lord Roxas, on behalf of my Master…and myself."

Her arms extended with the wood—a painting of a forest and a tiny tower in the distance under a great full moon. At Axel's feet she placed it.

The vampire said nothing, merely inclined his head. The girl Naminé backed towards the door, casting one last lingering glance at Roxas, and was gone.

The boy on the pedestal stood as though returning from a trance. Before he could process what had just occurred, Axel signaled to the tailor that that was enough for tonight, and made arrangements for a few sets of clothing to be delivered to the castle the following night, with the rest of the trunks finished and dispatched within the week. The vampire replaced the fur around his body and lifted him into his impossibly strong arms and left the tailor with a jingling purse of gold.

There was an urgency, an intensity buzzing about the vampire that had Roxas unsettled. They practically flew past the townspeople still lingering in the streets and into the carriage that was waiting for them, closed off from wondering eyes.

Roxas didn't have a moment to prepare. The fabric was drawn violently from his neck and suddenly the fangs were inside and Roxas was writhing, nerves prickling and dancing within him.

As usual in these encounters now, the sharp pain compartmentalized quickly and made room for electrifying pleasure. He couldn't remember Axel ever yet so intense in his feeding. There was a new element now: a fierce wanting that emanated from the vampire King.

And really, if he were brutally honest with himself, Roxas craved the great vampire's touches. He craved the nearness of the elegant, powerful body, the touch of those stone hands, the fleeting kisses that inevitably began the slow burn of carnal passion that culminated in the sharp pain of deadly fangs in his flesh and the violently beautiful release that accompanied the knife edge of agony/ecstasy.

It was all terribly surreal, like a too-convincing dream, and Roxas was still processing the whirlwind of confusion and fear that continued to dominate his mind. But he could not deny one thing at least: it was rather wonderful feeling wanted, desired.

Axel doted on him, kept him by his side constantly. Roxas did not understand why him, why all the attention, and how he would eventually—if he survived until 'eventually'—pay back the attention. Surely something would be expected of him?

There was too much to process. What had sparked this action in his Master? All seemed calm in the tailor's shop, them the girl stopped in…Naminé with the cobalt eyes and the wheat hair...

Roxas gasped as the pleasant draw on his blood returned to pain, a deep sting that echoed in his fingertips. Axel was holding him too tightly, hurting his wounds and drawing too fast, too much.

The fangs were torn from his neck violently.

"You are Mine," the vampire rasped, fury dancing in his eyes, upon his brow.

The blood on his lips scared Roxas; it was like being back in the woods again and he swore he could feel claws where the vampire's fingers were gripping him.

Feline eyes locked with his, and the youth shivered at the intensity between them.

He thought of the fevered kisses and touches his master bestowed upon him, tried to compare and contrast his experiences. He wanted to ponder this, this something that was between himself and the vampire. But he couldn't, his thoughts were drifting away in a swirl of emerald green now, a golden thread drawing him into the endless night within.

AN2: I'm here, it's not dead. I do apologize for the lack of updates. I've been pressed for time the past year, and personal issues have kept me busy, but I am still writing this story. I would rather take the time and wait to post something good than churn out poor quality nonsense quickly.


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